Chess Game
by Yum
Summary: Jack discovers some foundations aren't so easily repaired. Takes place after Shades of Gray This story was formerly from Gateways.
1. The Prisoners From NORAD

Sergeant Kent hated patrolling the base at night. He couldn't really call it a base actually. More like a box discarded in the middle of a New Mexican desert. Nothing around for miles. He didn't mind being assigned here, though. His wife Sue Ann liked the small nearby town they were staying. Good for raising kids, picket fences and barbecues on the backyards, he supposed. Besides, he liked the fact he'd no longer had to dodge bullets among sand dunes and fighting with the throttle of his copter surrounded by enemy fire. No, he didn't mind being relocated to this small auxiliary base. Life was simple. A subsidiary station between NORAD and Peterson, doesn't even register on the map, Kent was content doing his routine drives around the parameters, check off his list on the dusty clipboard and call it a day.

That is, until a few weeks ago.

It was during the midnight shift, the dead man slot as they called it, when Kent got the call. About twenty prisoners were being transported from Colorado Springs to here. Colorado Springs? Only thing Kent knew was out there was that mountain base NORAD. Where the hell did twenty prisoners come from? Sure as hell not from NORAD. Got everyone talking, everyone uneasy, and suddenly Kent was patting his hip holster to make sure his gun was still there.

They came in droves. Caravans of trucks, cloaked in heavy tarp, thundering down the dusty highway at around three in the morning. Kent'd never seen anything like it. He tipped his helmet back and watched in amazement as a four-star **general** lumbered out of the first truck and showed his papers, officially authorizing him to take over the base for the next month or so.

Men and woman, garbed in blue prisoner jumpsuits, and linked together by the ankle chains, went by them. A silent procession of scowls and anger led by soldiers just as silent, into Kent's nice boring base. There they stayed, locked up in the sub-levels below. And the days that followed were filled with even more generals, men in fancy business suits, weird midnight visits, and more personnel coming into the base than Kent had ever seen.

And Kent got stuck with night shifts for three straight weeks.

Walking down the hallways, Kent was wistfully missing the long drives in his jeep around the perimeter, sand and the red plateaus his only companions. But all the cars were used to shuffle the big wigs back and forth and patrol had been tightened to involve only the base. Even the rickety black Toyota sedan was gone from its quiet corner on the far side of the lot tonight. Figures.

Kent nodded to the guard at the corridor as he entered the underground level. A quick jaunty wave to the new cameras above his head—look Sue Ann, he's on TV, and he turned the corner to the outer gate, the cameras humming as they tracked him to the corner and stopped. The sergeant slowed as he reached the cellblock where **they** were holed up. He swiped his ID card through on the first gate and the door swung easily. Too easily. He frowned as he pushed the gate and watch it bounce off his fingertips. Kent glanced up at the second camera between the first gate and the next. It whirred serenely, not perturbed by his findings. Kent crossed over to the next gate and gave it a hard yank at the handle. Still locked.

"Useless piece of shit," Kent muttered as he twisted around and ran his thumb on the locking mechanism of the first one. Felt alright. Hm. Better tell Pender about it as soon as rounds on this level were done. New locks were out of sync again. Everything was all screwy since the new guys came in and beefed up security for their guests.

The sergeant made sure the gates shut behind him, giving the handle an experimental tug before he slipped his access card back in his front pocket. Turning around, he spied the familiar buzz cut head of Ford up ahead, the burly guard in his desert fatigues walking slowly around the corner to the next hallway of cells. Kent frowned. Weird. Didn't Ford already go home? He could have sworn he saw Ford whistling goodbye to him as he hotfoot it to the gates for a ride. Damn. Must have pulled the poor guy for another shift. The four stars have been doing that a lot lately.

Glad at the prospect of some company for the boring duty though, Kent gave the soldier a wave, but Ford didn't reply. Probably too far away to see him. The sergeant shrugged and resigned himself to checking the cells on his hall alone before he turned in.

Lieutenant Lewis had once told Kent he'd delivered the meals to the eastern corridor of cells. In the last compartment, the one all the way in the back, he had caught a glimpse of a man doing pushups on his bunk through the barred window. Sleeves rolled up, graying blonde hair cut close to his skull, someone had spied the tattoo of the Marines on his bicep. Shit. One of theirs? No way, Kent had told him. Lewis had to skip visiting those bars after duty, he'd advised him. The flyboy from North Carolina, Wilkins, told him confidentially that none of them ever spoke when they deliver their meals or to the new guards always coming in to stand vigil at the corridors.

It was like they were waiting.

Kent brushed aside that thought. Waiting? Sure, for their day on trial. He swirled his baton close to his hip. The sergeant turned the corner into the next hallway, nodding as he mentally checked off the doors. Door three, big guy with the crew cut. Never ate the carrots from the meals he gets. Pretty African American female in door seven. Hated when people didn't knock first. Door nine and eleven were coming up. Those two were weird. Short guy in nine, a very angry looking woman in eleven. Always either doing chin-ups by holding on to the cracks above the door or tapping the walls, the bedboards, the floor. They always stopped when he got there, not that Kent minded the noise. And every time they got pulled for interrogation, all the other prisoners would silently stare out their tiny windows at them as they walked by.

_Strange lot_, Kent mused. Never gave him any trouble though. He shrugged as he turned left to check on the next set of cell doors and—

Shit!

Nine and eleven were opened a crack.

"Ah crap!" Kent swore under his breath, reaching for his gun as he gingerly gave the doors a push before he stuck his head in the rooms. One look at the body bent at an odd angle under nine's bed was all he needed to sum up what had happened. Damn, where was that new alarm they set up here? He ran towards the end of the corridor, aiming for the metal box at its wall, checking for Ford as well. Why didn't the guy say anything? Surely Ford saw the doors as he went by. Kent's head swiveled sharply left and right to find his comrade. That's when he heard sounds of something heavy dropping to the floor along the next corridor.

Muffled bursts of sound could be heard around the corner. When Kent peered down the next hall, he tensed when he saw Ford standing in front of one cell, its door swung open. Kent was about to call out to the guy when he saw to his astonishment, Ford calmly raised a strange looking gun and pointed it into one of the cells firing at the prisoner within. An angry protest abruptly got cut off. There were two other men dressed in black jumpsuits, their zippers pulled down to reveal some sort of disk glimmering under their collar. They didn't seem to care that Kent was there. Calmly, these men he never saw before, mimicked Ford, flashes of fire exploding out of their guns as well towards two other opening cells. Kent yanked out his gun, barking out "Drop it!" at the three men. He could hear outraged shouting from the other rooms. The prisoners swearing at the three men, a few had their fists wrapped around the door handles on their side, red angry faces pressed to the tiny windows. Doors rattled under their rage, but the three men chose to ignore them. "Hold it right there!" Kent hollered again. "Ford! Drop your gun! I mean it, man!"

More sounds of something heavy dropping as the men in black ignored him and proceeded down the line. Shit. Kent suspected he knew what the sounds were. His hands shook. Who were these people? How the hell did they get past the guards at the surface? What the hell was Ford doing? "Drop your—"

Kent threw himself on the ground before his mind caught up with the image of the men spinning around with their weapons aimed towards him now. The odd whine of something had him scurrying for the adjacent hallway. What looked like lightning bolts struck the spot where his head was and a black scorched spot replaced the rough texture of the concrete wall and the newly installed camera above him.

Shit, shit, shit! What the hell was going on?

"Hey, I need someone down here!" Kent hollered, a flash of déjà vu came over him, a battlefield from years before, and his anger rose. Damn it, he wasn't about to die in some box out in the desert! He stuck his gun into the corridor and fired once more before he saw a small canister tumbled head over heels across his view and into the corridor opposite the cells. Smoke spewed out without warning, filling the hallways with its fog. Kent coughed, shouting as he heard footsteps behind him. Help. Help was finally arriving. He waved at his comrades to hurry, whipping around as he heard footsteps running away. The men garbed in black were nothing more than shadows now. Kent heard more cell doors opening after several high pitched whines. More shouting from the prisoners some abruptly cut off.

"I said drop your weapons, asshole!" Kent hollered, firing his gun at any shadow he could make out in the haze. Then he saw a flash of blue. Shit! Kent dove for the floor again, hands over his head as the wall above him exploded, raining concrete and paint chips over him. He raised his head, his eyes watering, firing his gun at their general direction before they used whatever the hell they had again. He heard a grunt and finally dared to look around the corner again. Kent saw Ford, stagger a step back. He could barely see the man in the smoke. "Ford, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

Another shot went over his head so fast, Kent only heard sparks. Sparks? He could hear the camera give one last wail and die above his head.

"Two were missing!" another voice out of the mist hollered.

"We'll track them later!"

Kent's gaze darted back to the two cells he'd discovered seconds before. He snapped back towards the corridor.

"Back away!" Kent shouted, his hands struggling to keep the gun still. His eyes blurred. Freaking smoke. "I said back off!" Gritting his teeth, Kent fired off two shots and heard a body fall.

"He's dead," someone called out from inside the haze already dissipating. "Leave him." Kent peered around the corner and saw the two men zipping up their black suits, hands over the disks he saw before, crouched over their fallen comrade. Shit, it was Ford. He got Ford. Kent could see the blonde buzzcut on a slack head and the blood surrounding it like a red halo. Kent swallowed his regret and aimed his gun at the men as one of them reached down and something weird happened.

Ford…rippled. Shit, he **rippled**, like he was underwater or something. Kent nearly dropped his gun as he watched Ford turned into a larger man, someone he'd never saw before. What the! What the hell? No way. No way! Kent blinked. Wasn't possible. He must have been mistaken before. No wait, he could have sworn he saw—He steadied his weapon.

"We're clear!" one of the men shouted, waving something in his fist before another shot from Kent had him spinning back to avoid the gunfire. Something dropped from their grasps and a rough voice swore. Before the black outfitted man could pick it up, they must have heard the pounding footsteps because the three remaining men got up, fired off shots that had Kent scrambling back deeper into the hallway for cover. When he dared to look up again, they were gone.

Swallowing hard, he crept closer to the open cell doors, waving away the smoke with one hand, and approached the body on the ground. He could have sworn-

Crunch.

Kent whipped out his gun again, chest heaving.

"What happened?" Footsteps rushed past him, reinforcements already checking the cells. Kent couldn't even tell who asked him for a report, too many soldiers scrambling into the hallways to pinpoint a single voice.

The alarm now wailed a few moments too late. Everything exploded into chaos.

Kent wiped a shaky hand across his forehead. He looked under his boot and frowned at the shattered remains of what looked like a small disc. Before he could pick it up, however, one of the newly arrived soldiers reared back from one of the many open cell doors. "Oh Christ-" One guy stumbled away, crashing into Kent. As the sergeant straightened, he saw the remaining prisoners peering out of the cell windows, all looking right at him accusingly.

What the hell was going on?


	2. Drawing Straws

_"Um...We...uh...we drew straws. I lost."_

Jack O'Neill wasn't sure how the invitation was going to be received. He rolled it around in his mind and mulled over putting it off, but finally decided he was going to do the military way and just get it over with. So he took a deep breath and stepped right into the threshold of the cluttered office. Jack absently tugged at the ends of his button down shirt as if it was his dress blues before he cleared his throat to draw the attention of the young man hunched over his table with his shirt sleeves rolled up, a viewing lamp perched overhead.

"Hey..." Jack began. He heard Daniel give a distracted "Hm?" but didn't look up. Jack ruefully rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. Damn. This was harder than he thought.

Jack waved around the office. "Hammond gave us a few days standdown while they categorize the rest of the gizmos those rogues took and need to return, remember?" He shook a finger at Daniel's table. An impressive wall of books surrounded the archeologist. It seemed to be that way for weeks now. "You do know what a stand down means, right? That means no work for us. Even Teal'c's off world visiting his kid."

"Oh." Finally looking up, Daniel tapped at his eyeglasses until it settled back on the bridge of his nose. "I thought maybe I would finish up my work here. Been kind of busy since…you know."

_Since you dropped everything to do that damn proposal no one read_. Jack cleared his throat again. "Yeah, well…" Shit. It felt like Jack had a frog in his throat. "It's nice to get a…ah…a break every now and then."

"Uh huh." Daniel ducked his head back down to the object of his attention.

Crap. Not good.

"It's great," Jack went on, injecting a light tone in his voice. "Was thinking we needed a break. They're up to their eyeballs counting zat guns, personal shield devices, anti-gravity doohickeys, even a makeshift version of that Touchstone. That alone is gonna keep Carter dancing around her microscope for weeks."

Daniel glanced up and gave a wan smile. "Sure."

Shit. He was sinking deeper and deeper. He could hear the "Abandon ship!" ringing in his ears. "Hell, heard they even found some of those hologram devices. You know? The ones that made Carter look like you, me like an alien, no, make that the alien looking like me. They must have been swiping stuff for themselves for months." Jack wiggled his hands in the air, making a shape. "Even one of those Machello tablets that made you…us…"

"Insane?" Daniel finished in a flat voice. The archeologist returned back towards the table, his back stiff.

Argh, crash and burn. **Dumb move**. Jack cracked his knuckles one by one on each hand until he heard Daniel sighed.

"Jack…sorry, I'm a bit busy right now. Did you needed something?"

"Want to finish that chess game Friday?" Jack blurted out. He winced. So much for waiting for the right moment.

Raising his head from the fragile papyrus sandwiched between plates of glass, archeologist Daniel Jackson blinked at Jack, surprised. "What?" He pushed up his sliding glasses back higher on his nose.

Casually, Jack leaned against Daniel's office door, hands deep in his khakis' pockets. "The chess game. You know, the one we started when I first got back from Edora." He rubbed his hands together, his eyebrows waggling at the younger man. "Come on, board's ready. And it was your turn."

Daniel pursed his lips, thinking. His eyes widened as he recalled. "Oh. You mean the game we've been playing before your..." He trailed off.

_"Apparently not much of a foundation there, huh?"_

Jack's past words seem to hang over them both and the two men fell silent.

After a moment, Jackson peered over the rim of his glasses at him, eyes unsure, hesitant. "You...you still have it set up?"

The older man shrugged, looking at the funny stone statue perched on one shelf behind Daniel. It looked like it was laughing at him. Jack was tempted to make a face back at it. "Never changed the board."

"But." Daniel frowned, his glasses going up and down as he did. His brow knitted together. "The last time I was there..."

_The last time you were there, I was playing a role for Maybourne and shot what we had to bits with all that foundations crap_, Jack thought. Daniel appeared to have been thinking the same thing because he looked away, the pen he was holding twitched in his grasp.

_Damn_, Jack thought when he saw the archeologist chewed on his lower lip. It was this pair of cloudy blue eyes that made conversation awkward the past few days since Jack had finished being debriefed by everyone from the Pentagon to the SGC about his undercover assignment.

Jack had been going in and out of base, from Colorado to Washington, giving testimony after testimony until he could memorize the panels' questions in his sleep. Not that he did. Jack barely had time to sleep, much less pick up the phone and begin a conversation he should have started the moment he got back after his undercover stint. Every time he saw Daniel, the brief moments of chance in the hall or in the locker room, the words exchanged were rushed, clipped and awkward.

Daniel had been volunteering to translate anything and everything coming through the Stargate, making breezing right into the archeologist's office a slim chance at best. Meals at the commissary had been either with Carter and Teal'c or just by himself staring at the entrance, willing it to fill with Daniel's presence so they could talk.

The absence of the archeologist grew painfully apparent as Jackson threw himself into more and more unnecessary work, isolating himself from contact with anyone. Not just Jack. Everyone. He became this silent figure shrouded in the lamp light of his office. It became a concern. So much of a concern that Carter had voiced out loud over breakfast yesterday if maybe the team should have a break before they took on any missions. And Jack surprised the major by agreeing. The general didn't need a lot of convincing either. Apparently, the wall Daniel shored up was noticeable by a whole lot of people. And judging by the sideway glances Jack got as he walked down the hallways, the verdict was already in on whose fault it was.

And now here he was, standing by the doorway, unable to bring himself to barge in as usual, getting no invite from Daniel to come in either. Standing there, feeling like the odd wheel, Jack was beginning to wonder. Wonder if the younger man was going to turn him down, sealing the remains of their friendship into a tomb, or show up, only to have them both realize there was too much damaged to be salvaged. Neither prospect appealed to Jack, but he had to try. Someone had to extend the first hand and see if it's a bite or a handshake he'll get. "The game is still there," Jack pressed. "We got a few days off and a nice weekend to continue it."

"Um...maybe next time?" Daniel hedged, staring at the sheet of ancient writing, gnawing on his lower lip as he fiddled with his ledger pad of notes. The pen pinned between his fingers danced up and down like a seesaw with nervous twitches from Daniel's hand.

Jack forced his shoulders to stay straight. He'd heard the same excuses before when Sha're died. He'll be damned if he was going to let a rerun of Daniel's "How to shut out the world" stop him this time. "Come on," Jack wheedled Daniel. "For once, I would like to win a game."

Daniel cautiously looked over to Jack, saw the friendly teasing, and perhaps suspected or can see through Jack's effort to make amends. The archeologist visibly relaxed a little, the straight line of his shoulders and back curved to a softer edge. "Well..." Jackson shrugged slightly, tapping a long finger at the plates of glass.

He could see the gears moving in Daniel's head and tossed in the next line, a surefire lure to reel the archeologist in. "And I would have had you cornered in that game in five moves."

Sure enough, Daniel took the bait and rolled his eyes. "Since when?"

"Since you moved that damn knight to Rook two." O'Neill folded his arms across his chest, giving the younger man a smug grin. His dark eyebrows bobbed at Daniel.

Looking over the rim of his glasses again, vaguely reminding Jack of a stern elementary school teacher he had once, Daniel tsked. "Bluffing only works in poker, Jack."

"Which you suck at," Jack gleefully reminded him, the iron vise in his chest loosening with the soft-spoken quip from Daniel.

Daniel slowly nodded, agreeing. "True. But it doesn't apply with chess."

"Come on...chicken?" Jack grinned wolfishly.

The archeologist gave him a "You've got to be kidding me" look before deliberately turning back to his work. He pulled the large overhead lamp back towards the papyrus he was examining. "I'll let you know," Daniel murmured, glued to the yellowing item. He paused before adding "Depends on if I have this translation done yet."

"Bwuck, bwuck, bwuck," Jack clucked, flapping his hands in mid-air like wings. He ignored the passing soldiers' startled glances he could see out of the corner of his eye.

Daniel lifted his head at the taunt and Jack stopped. The uncertainty in Jackson's eyes was clear through his spectacles, the blue cloudy and apprehensive and if Jack had to hazard a guess- a little scared, too. Daniel ducked his head down to his artifact again when he realized he was under Jack's scrutiny and sought refuge over panes of uncaring glass.

"Daniel?" Jack asked, sobering. He watched as Daniel picked at an invisible speck of dirt, the gesture oddly lonely and vaguely reminded him of an unsure archeologist from a few years ago. It was like going back in time. It was like all the years of missions, talks, crisis, hadn't happened.

Jack took another step inside the office before he stopped. Something about the posture told him closer proximity wouldn't be appreciated or welcomed right now. It gave him a sick feeling in his stomach. "Daniel?" he asked again in a quieter voice.

"Did you..." the younger man paused. He swept his palms across the papyrus's clear protective cover, running the tip of his tongue across his lower lip. "Um...did you want me to...bring anything?" He stared at the artifact as if he was working hard on one particular line.

Jack smiled at the archeologist's bowed head, the relief washing over the heavy feeling in his chest. "You brought the drinks last time, right?"

"Think so." Daniel raised his head to a tilt towards him, one eye peering at Jack. "Want me to bring dinner?"

"Sure." Strangely enough, Jack felt overwhelmingly relieved. It felt like a major hurtle was jumped over. He could hear applause roaring in the office. Maybe he should take a bow. "None of that sushi stuff though, okay?" He pretended to gag, clamping a hand over his throat. "I know Teal'c liked it the last time we tried it, but that wasabi gunk was enough to turn the rest of my hair white."

A smile flitted across Daniel's lips. "Okay, no sushi then. Um…chinese?"

Jack felt the tight cord he didn't even know was in his shoulders until now relaxed. He rapped on the door with his knuckles, turning to go. "Great. Uh...I'm going to head out now. See ya tomorrow then?"

"Okay," murmured Daniel, glued to his papyrus again.

Shaking his head, Jack gave the door another rap to indicate he was leaving.

"Jack?"

_Uh oh_, Jack thought as he slowly turned around again, his gut sinking. He found Daniel still hunched over the artifact. "Yeah?"

"Three." Daniel didn't look up.

"Eh?"

"Three. The last game. I would have had you cornered in three." Daniel turned his face slightly towards Jack, quite serious, but the older man could have sworn he saw a twinkle in the blue eyes.

Jack pretended to growl. "Like I said before, Jackson. You're lousy at bluffing."

Daniel nodded absently. "Of course I am."

O'Neill bit back the grin as he grumbled good-naturedly, giving a nonchalant wave behind him as he left, his steps noticeably lighter. He didn't turn around, otherwise he would have caught the small smile that was on Daniel's lips slowly fading away, pensive eyes staring at the empty doorway now.


	3. He's Not Here

It was picked up on the first ring.

"Yes?" No hello. No greeting. The man spoke into the small cellular, his voice void of any accents or emotions. His eyes were hidden behind shades and staring at the shut door. His fingers drummed over an airline ticket on the end table next to him.

A pause on the other line. The man could hear the noise of cars and busy highways in the background. "I'm looking for—"

"He's not here." The speaker didn't give him a chance to finish.

There was a sharp intake of breath on the other end. "We were told he was."

"You were mistaken." The speaker's voice was cold. Then, a sigh escaped, and the voice grew warmer to a degree, regretful. "I'm sorry."

Another pause.

"Guess we **were** mistaken. All of us were." The person on the other line sounded bitter.

At first, the man acted like he was going to hang up, his hand already pulling the phone away. But then, he pressed it back towards his face. Eyes darted towards the door again. "Try…dialing another number," the speaker suggested slowly.

There was a long silence, long enough for the speaker to wonder if the line was disconnected. Then, a grunt and "…Thanks, we will." There was a pregnant pause before the voice thinned, adding "After we get the others."

The line went dead before the speaker could reply.

The speaker folded the cellular phone, not bothering to see what was the number on its caller id. He took out the battery, tossed it on the waste can by the hotel bed. Then he placed the mobile phone by the chair he was sitting on, turning until one chair leg landed squarely on its LED screen. After its crunch signaling the phone's demise, he got up, pocketed the airline ticket into his jacket, took a quick look around the room, and exited out the window.

Moments later, the door was kicked in and a dozen men rushed in only to find the pieces of the phone and a breeze blowing through the open window.


	4. Impossible Friendships

Daniel sat in his car, turning the key, then reversing the move. The car's engines rolled once with a rumble, then hushed as they were left idle once more. The lights went on, then off, then on again. And Daniel could just bet the guards at the front gate were probably wondering why was Doctor Jackson still sitting in his car for the past hour staring at the swaying windshield wipers in the drizzling rain.

_"Apparently not much of a foundation there, huh?"_

Sighing, Daniel leaned his forehead on the steering wheel. Why was he still mulling over it? Jack had said it was all an act, a hoax, unreal. Just a ruse to fool Maybourne.

_Well, it fooled me too._

Despite the explanations, the reasoning, the words stung. They stung when Daniel sat there on the couch, they stung when he left Jack's house, and they still stung as he stood there in the shadows of the observation booth, watching Jack walk away from everything Daniel **thought** he'd believed in. While everyone saluted the colonel as he paused on the top of the ramp before the sparkling Stargate, all Daniel felt was empty and cheated, as if everything he finally allowed himself to put faith into was wrong. When Jack didn't even turn around and just went right through, Daniel's faith in the trust he laid on others crumbled like ashes without the dignity of a funeral.

As soon as the Stargate shut, Daniel had turned away, heart heavy. He managed a wan smile down to the embarkation room at Sam and Teal'c before he walked away. He could hear Sam calling his name from down below, but he didn't want to do anything more than just sit in his office and pretend the translations SG-4 had brought in previously were far more important. After ignoring a few knocks on the door, whoever it was trying to check on him finally gave up, and he was thankfully left alone to his own devices. But unfortunately, it also meant he was left with his own thoughts.

No one ever associated themselves with Daniel without wanting something in return. Even if they were sincere in some way, they never lasted. He had seen history repeat itself too many times to not have erected a wall around him to ward off the potential disappointment and betrayal. So it didn't really bother him when he and Jack met the very first time and he'd encountered nothing but disdain from the angry sounding colonel. Fine, Daniel could deal with that. He was here to work for Catherine, not to try and make friends.

But they had ended up as friends anyway.

He could decipher the mysteries of the Stargate, but how he suddenly found himself automatically calling for Jack when life began to push back with ferocity was the biggest mystery of all.

Daniel still can't figure out when it was they began dropping the titles of "Colonel" and "Doctor" and began calling themselves "Jack" and "Daniel".

Not the most perfect of friendships. But then again, what did Daniel have to compare? A dead wife? A brother-in-law out God knows where? A few associates from the universities who had offered "If you need anything..." before he took the gamble to push his theories, now suddenly too busy to even take his calls? Daniel didn't really have anything to compare it to after all. But he **thought** what he and Jack had were a friendship. Although, he'd had his doubts. They argued more than they agreed, Jack knew as much sports as Daniel knew all the pharaohs in every dynasty. Jack liked his coffee black. Daniel liked his with cream and sugar.

No way. Impossible friendships. A man with a dark past, shady military experiences and loom over Daniel with all the violence he was accustomed to and Daniel himself barely floundering to stay above it.

But he'd believed in the man anyway, in the things he thought this man could do, in the things he thought they both believed in. He came to expect Jack's spurts of sudden ability to read what was on his mind and vice versa. Daniel had finally accepted the fact that for once in his adult life, there was someone who was going to still be there. Someone he could turn to for a little quiet reflection or simple understanding even when he didn't know how to ask. He thought he found some redeeming quality underneath the gruff, wisecracking exterior. And for once, it seemed like he found a friend who didn't just hung around to rub off his potentially rewarding academic career. Just there for friendship, family, if Daniel dared to label the comfortable feeling attached to it.

Only to find himself being referred to as "people like you" like he was some sort of outsider.

And perhaps, in Jack O'Neill's eyes, maybe he actually was.

Daniel wearily rubbed a palm across his forehead, pushing away from the steering wheel. He leaned back and stared at the car ceiling.

_Hammond's door shut with a quiet click. Daniel skidded to a halt when he saw whom it was pulling the door close._

_Jack._

_The colonel looked taken aback when he saw who was standing in the hallway in front of the office door. He gave a shrug and a crooked grin. "So."_

_Daniel's eyes drifted to the duffel bag Jack grasped in his hands. Apparently, the rumors were true. "So," he echoed dully._

_"Guess you heard, huh?" Offering no explanations, Jack hung the duffel strap over his shoulder, his leather jacket creaking as he squared back his shoulders. "This is it then."_

_He gazed steadily at Jack. The older man returned the look without so much a flinch or regret for the words they had exchanged last week._

_No foundation._

_What was there left to say after that?_

_He was leaving just like all the rest had._

_"You gonna see me off?" asked Jack as he gestured towards the stairwell leading to the embarkation room level. He didn't look concerned when Daniel shook his head._

_"Uh...no...Have to...work...you know how it is," Daniel finished lamely._

_Jack shrugged again. "Not any more. Retired now, remember?"_

_Daniel wished there weren't so many people walking around them. Actually, he was beginning to wish he never left his office. He forced a smile on his lips. "Oh yes. Déjà vu."_

_The older man grunted. Jack paused, looking like he wanted to say something. Daniel cocked his head. There was an urgency in the man's eyes, something Daniel didn't see back in Jack's place. Something that made Daniel take a step forward._

_And the colonel took a step back._

_"So...uh..." Jack sounded funny. He sounded like he had a cold. His eyes darted left and right at the soldiers walking by, but never once landing on Daniel. "I'll be seeing you, then, okay?"_

_Something hard settled in Daniel's stomach. He managed a "Sure." Deep down though, he knew the universe had gotten just that much bigger. This was really it. _

_Jack gave a casual salute, his hand lazily waving from away his forehead, stopping as if realizing he didn't need to do that any more. Jack abruptly turned around. He tossed out a stiff "Later, Jackson."_

_Jackson._

_That cold lump sharpened to a pin. It began digging into his insides. But despite the pronounced pain, Daniel couldn't stop himself from blurting out, "Jack!"_

_The older man turned, one hand grasping his bag over his shoulder._

_"No regrets?" Daniel stressed, staring at him. Tell him he was wrong. Daniel couldn't have been that wrong about this man._

_Come on, Jack, he mentally pleaded. _

_A brief something, Daniel wasn't sure if he saw it or just imagined it, went across Jack's face. Then, Jack nodded solemnly, looking at Daniel without an ounce of apology. "None whatsoever, Jackson."_

_Then, without another word, Jack walked away, leaving Daniel standing alone in the hallway as he headed for the embarkation room._

It was almost as bad as running into the Abydos chamber and finding Sha're and Skaara gone. This sudden sense of loss of something he thought he had.

Correction.

It felt the same.

_"We...uh...we drew straws. I lost."_

It wasn't entirely true. Sam and he had debated over it, Teal'c as usual, keeping silent until finally announcing that perhaps Daniel Jackson should go as if there was never any question. And Daniel did, after standing in front of Jack's door, rehearsing his opening before giving up and opted to go ahead and knock. And they...talked.

_Some talk_. Daniel watched dully as droplets of rain splattered increased with intensity on his windshield. The rain was now a steady stream of spray, looking very chilly, fog misting his windshield. It looked cold out there. Cold enough to make Daniel zip his navy barn jacket over the cream colored fisherman sweater he slept in when he worked all through out the night yesterday. He tugged closed the collar and reach over to crank up the heat. Splat, splat went the rain. Steam rose from the warm front hood as icy droplets contacted the surface with little pings. Daniel looked at it scornfully, as if the rain was to blame for his delay, even though it wasn't. Could have left sooner if those odd calls hadn't interrupted his work. He picks them up, only to get hung up on. It had gotten so annoying, he left the phone off the hook. Kept making him lose his train of thought, wasting more time he could have spent on work.

Daniel shook his head. No, that was just an excuse, too. If Daniel hadn't sat here in his car playing "What if?", he would probably be eating at Jack's place by now, maybe even be playing his next move that would have cornered Jack's last knight as he had planned before all of this started. He sighed, mentally calculating that he would be much later reaching Jack's house if he was to drive slowly into town to pick up dinner then drive over there.

If he was going, that is.

_Jack waved his hand towards Daniel, gesturing him to walk with him. Daniel numbly went along, hands shoved deep in his pockets as he listened to Jack explain in disjointed, fumbling sentences. "That stuff I was talking about...at my house..."_

_"Oh...yeah..." Daniel walked along Jack, looking everywhere but towards him. The older man was waving his hands weakly in the air, fumbling with his explanation._

_"Uh...the place was bugged. I had to keep up the act."_

_"I...uh...understand, really..." Daniel mumbled automatically as he trailed behind Jack, sensing Sam and Teal'c following. He could feel Jack glancing back at him so Daniel looked back with as much of a smile he could give. _

_There was an anxious twitch on Jack's face, eyes glued to him with concern before he awkwardly looking away. "And obviously the whole friendship thing, the foundation, it's all solid." _

_"Oh obviously...obviously..." Daniel replied, showing he understood._

But he didn't.

The fact that Jack said it was all an act didn't make Daniel feel any better. In fact, it made him feel worse. The older man certainty knew what buttons to press back in his house, when they had the "discussion", labeled with capital letters. Jack certainty knew what made the knife dig deeper.

_"Kind of crossing the line aren't we, Ja—"_

_"Daniel, shut up!"_

_"Stuff that interests people like you, Daniel, not people like me."_

_"Apparently not much of a foundation there, huh?"_

The words he chose to say to Daniel were too smooth and came out too comfortable as if they were always there the whole time. Words never spoken out of respect for a fragile friendship that had more ups and downs than they can keep track of. Cutting words that were perhaps once thought but never used. Daniel had believed it was because the words had changed grown into a degree of faith in each other the longer they knew one another and the reason for the mutual shadows behind their counterpart's eyes. They were words never spoken, but existed simply because Daniel heard them before in one form or another from others less friendly. Words Jack himself never really used, conveyed by frowns that he didn't approve of them, never mentioning out loud..

And yet Jack hadn't been above using that knowledge to slap him across the face with it this time. Like the words had still been hanging there waiting to be used..

And now they were going to play chess?

_"So?" Tapping his beer bottle on the table, Daniel nodded around Jack's living room. "We've started this game when everyone left your welcome home party." He checked his watch and groaned. "Jack, it's been nearly two hours and we're still on this first game."_

_Jack tapped the pawn he'd captured with one hand, chewing on the sandwich he was holding with the other as he studied the board. "Hold on. I'm thinking." He gave a grunt as he tapped one chess piece. He threw his sandwich down with a snort. "Still think we should have stuck with cards though."_

_"Jaack..." Daniel complained as he sunk in deeper in his seat, watching as the colonel groused some more before tapping a finger on each chess piece as he fought to decide. _

_"Yeah, yeah, I know. Hold up, will ya?" Jack waved at him, jaw going left and right as he scrutinized the board. _

_Sighing, Daniel sat there, studying his friend, waiting somewhat patiently. He resisted the urge to smile as he recalled the colonel didn't really like to lose and the last time they played and he'd lost was back in the VIP room before—Daniel shook his head. Another time, another place. No point in remembering it. He fingered the beer bottle, rolling it between his hands as he observed the colonel, noting the tan line around the neck. His left eyebrow went up as he realized the older man was darker than he'd last recalled. "Wow, Edora must have been very warm."_

_"Huh?" Looking up, Jack followed Daniel's finger to the collar of his shirt and grunted. "Yeah, well...I didn't exactly had a lot of sunscreen there." He fell silent once more._

_Daniel winced as he realized it was the wrong thing to bring up. "Sorry."_

_Jack raised his eyes at him. Daniel gave a sad smile towards him. "I know...um...during all that time...you and Laira must have gotten...close."_

_"That obvious?"_

_Daniel nodded. Jack would only grunt again._

_"She was going to throw my stuff away."_

_"What?" Daniel arched an eyebrow. "Stuff?"_

_Jack waved at the living room, at the stray confetti from the impromptu party Sam and Janet threw for his return. "You know...my stuff. The vest, the radio..." His voice lowered. "The uniform."_

_Dropping his gaze, Daniel nodded. "Oh."_

_"What?"_

_Daniel blinked. "What what?"_

_"What was that look for?" Jack shook at finger at Daniel. "That, 'I shouldn't have asked' look."_

_"Uh...for a moment back then..." Daniel hedged, "you didn't look like you wanted to leave when we came back to Edora. Sam said..." He flicked his tongue across his lower lip. "Uh...let's just say you didn't look like you wanted to come back with us."_

_Jack dropped the pawn he was fingering and leaned back on the armchair. "She kept me from going crazy, Daniel."_

_"Oh." The chair was uncomfortable. Daniel fidgeted. "I understand, Jack."_

_"No, I don't think you do." Jack waved towards Daniel. "I was trying...for days, hell, __**weeks**__ to get some word. Got nothing. Took me a long, long time to finally accept I may be stuck there." Jack shrugged. "Had to..." The older man flicked at the rook on his side of the board. "Had to let go a lot of things I was used to, and she helped me."_

_Daniel stared at Jack, aghast. "Didn't you think we would have found a way to get you back?"_

_Jack shrugged again. He peered across the table to Daniel. "I was hoping, but...hell...I wasn't sure." He ran a hand through his hair. "Daniel, I know the military mindset, their ops. There's only so long they can go looking for just one person."_

_"We didn't stop, you know," Daniel interrupted. "Not Sam, or General Hammond, or Teal'c."_

_Jack smiled. "Yeah. So I heard." He waggled his eyebrows at Daniel. "Also heard you were playing diplomat with the Tok'ra, trying to get them to help." Swirling the caramel brown liquid in his bottle, Jack's eyes softened. "Heard you didn't give up either."_

_Daniel shifted in his seat. "Wouldn't you have done the same for me?"_

_There wasn't even the slightest bit of hesitation. "Definitely, Daniel." The smile grew. "Definitely."_

_Daniel smiled shyly back before raising his bottle. "Welcome back, Jack."_

_The colonel mimicked the gesture. "Thanks. Great to be back."_

_"Now will you move, please?"_

_"Geez, give me a second, okay? All this mushy talk made me forget my strategy." _

_"Jack!"_

Daniel lifted his head and sighed. Maybe he was overreacting?

_"Wouldn't you have done the same for me?"_

_"Definitely, Daniel." _

Of course he was overreacting. What else could it be? Daniel was well aware of what he himself was doing the past few days—hiding behind work to lick wounds that were never really there, listening to old voices tell him how he didn't really belong, only tolerated for his knowledge and any family he had was already lost. Daniel found it all too easy to fall back on the old habits of solitude and isolation when their last conversation cut too deep, even when later on it was revealed to be all a hoax. Daniel couldn't stop the feeling of insecurity, that he should have seen the cover through, should have suspected, if they were that good of friends.

Nor could he stop the feeling that the words he heard were actually there all this time and just needed the outlet of the undercover mission to be released. And never mind the fact Jack and General Hammond took advantage of the knowledge Daniel would jumped at the chance to try and build bridge of exchange with the Tollans and used it for the perfect setup for Jack's planned downfall. All those days working on it, dropping everything including sleep and food, enduring the nightly _"Is it done yet?"_, _"Does the word __**dinner**__ even ring a bell?"_, and _"How's it going?"_ from Jack as if he cared.

Did he really care?

Or was that a cover too?

_"And obviously the whole friendship thing, the foundation, it's all solid." _

Oh obviously. Obviously.

_"We insisted that you apprehend them yourselves."_

Jack was only doing his job. The Nox, the Tollans, and the Asgards were going to wash their hands of the complicated affairs of the Tau'ri. Sam understood. Teal'c accepted it. Daniel completely understood, too.

Didn't he?

_"And you didn't think you could trust us to help?"_

Daniel sighed, leaning his forehead on the steering wheel. His head was pounding. This was too confusing. It was the very reason why he agreed to handling so many projects these days- so he wouldn't have to think about it.

_"We wanted to assure that your reactions to the colonel's behavior was as it should be."_

Their reactions? So everything was planned? Right down to the hardest moment of his life, swallowing down all his misgivings and ringing that doorbell? And why didn't Jack have any say in the matter? Or didn't he **want** them on his team for this? Why now, all of the sudden, did Jack, who normally pushed for teamwork, for seamless cooperation from his teammates, went solo? Didn't Jack trust them? Did he think one of them had something to do with it? God, Daniel hoped not. Thank goodness Jack never voice any of those suspicions out loud. It would be just as bad as the time Daniel told Jack about what Sha're told him about Kheb. It would actually hurt as bad as that flicker of doubt that flashed across Jack's face before the older man cleared his throat and asked Daniel if maybe that might have been a dream.

Daniel pinched the bridge of his nose. He slipped off his glasses for a moment, taking his time cleaning the glass with a corner of his shirt.

No, no. It was like Jack said. They only wanted him on the operation. But why didn't Jack fight with them on that? Or did he bother? Did the colonel just merely agreed, already drawing names of suspects? They couldn't be let in on this secret? Be told instead of used? Daniel blinked. He slipped up his glasses back onto his face. Maybe Jack feared there would be trouble? Or did he fear they themselves or Daniel would be trouble for him? Maybe that's why the conversation back at Jack's house?

_"Come on...you're a bright guy. You had to have sense some things."_

No, he didn't. He really didn't. Jack was so convincing. No, he had to fool Daniel. Had to break the friendship. But why? Didn't he trust Daniel? Didn't he think Daniel could help? Had it been hard for him at all?

God, the headache was back. He should have grabbed at least breakfast when Sam dropped by his office before. Daniel rubbed two fingers against both temples, a little furrow forming between his brow. Of course it probably wasn't as complicated as Daniel saw it.

Gloomy old Doctor Jackson was just making an artifact out of a rock.

He grimaced, tapping his forehead against the leather cover of his steering wheel. The last snide remark sounding suspiciously like something Jack O'Neill would say. Daniel shook his head sadly at himself. He was being ridiculous. Like Jack said. Foundations were all intact, fragile as they were, and life goes on. End of story. The end.

Jack's effort to get him to come out and finish the chess game life kept interrupting should have been a big clue to the older man's intentions. The olive branch was being extended towards him and here was Daniel still wondering when it'll turn into an asp. The least Daniel could do was return the same—try and restore something they both were trying so hard to solidify the past three years, a foundation that crumbles too easy, yet erect back up just as quickly. If Jack was going to try, then darn it, Daniel would try as well.

With that decided, Daniel straightened up in his seat, and twisted the ignition key once more. The engine revved up, headlights flickering on and he drove out to the road, past the wired fences, nodding to the guards as they waved him through. He gave his watch a quick glance, deciding on taking the main highway road that would lead to town and eventually to Jack's home. Daniel was concentrating so hard to see between the swaying pair of windshield wipers and downpour of rain he didn't see the other car, a black sedan coming out of a side road, trailing slowly behind him.


	5. The Chess Board

_"A chess set?" Jack studied the mahogany wood edgings, wrapped around a surface of polished cherry. _

_"I thought maybe...since we were playing chess the last time...when you were keeping me company during when...I..." Daniel trailed off, unsure. The archeologist brushed two fingers across the set. "Found this set in a flea market a few blocks from my building. Was broken but it restored quite nicely." Jackson shrugged. "But if you don't want it." He glanced over his glasses at him. _

_"I said I didn't like playing chess," Jack corrected him as he lifted the lid and counted the pieces. He nodded, satisfied as he realized they were all there. "But that's usually because it's hard to find someone to play with." He waved at Daniel to sit. The younger man gave Jack a wary look before seating. _

_Jack studied the quiet man as Daniel fingered the bishop on the black side, tracing the subtle curves of the piece. _

_"Why a chess set?"_

_Daniel shrugged, eyes on the board. "I don't know. Just...sort of a...thank you, I guess."_

_Jack arched an eyebrow at the archeologist. "A thank you? For what?"_

_Long fingers twisted around each other as Daniel raised one shoulder, mumbling "For keeping me company back then, even when you thought I was...um...you know...really going...er... crazy."_

_Jack's mouth went dry. "I didn't really do anything."_

_"You got me out of there."_

_After I placed you in there, Jack thought but he said nothing. He saw Daniel rubbed his palms against his lap, the memories that were brought up were uneasy ones._

_"I remember bits and pieces," Daniel whispered as if it was taboo to voice it out loud. "In the VIP room. You were there. I...I really appreciated it, Jack."_

_Jack fidgeted. "Hell, Daniel. All we did was play cards and chess. Normal stuff."_

_"Exactly."_

_Startled, Jack looked at the younger man. The shaky smile told him that some things didn't need to be talked to death. Jack swallowed the apologies he wanted to give, knew Daniel understood and waved weakly at the chess set sitting center of his coffee table._

_"So...You want to be black or white?"_

Jack didn't look at his watch as he twisted the cap off the bottle. Sitting with a slouch on the couch, dressed in an old navy pullover and jeans with his legs crossed on his coffee table, he ran a hand through his shower damp hair, smoothing out the spikes. He dropped his feet down, then they were back up again. Damn it. He avoided looking at his wrist as he reached for the paper folded on the coffee table, then discarded the idea soon after that.

Warm fire in the fireplace, music on low, the room was pleasantly warm. Yet Jack was finding himself turning and twisting in his seat. Jack was fidgeting despite his comfortable surroundings. He didn't try to turn his wrist up to look at his watch. The time wasn't important. Each time he looked, it would still be the same.

Daniel was late.

Or maybe not coming.

Jack eyed the chessboard with some regret. He was tempted to call before, to check and see if Daniel was coming. He knew the archeologist was probably holed up back on base since yesterday. Jack wanted to pick up the phone, but he realized how pushy and foolish that would look. Besides, he knew the phone worked. Checked the dial tone and everything. But all he got was some phone call reminding him about his deposition in a few weeks against the rogue teams. So it wasn't like Daniel couldn't call. He just didn't.

So…he waited.

Jack bided his time—did the lawn, supplied his fridge, threw out everything else that rotted there during his undercover absence, grabbed a quick sandwich when it got too late to wait for Daniel's food. And checked the clock. Twice. Hell, every hour in fact if Jack was willing to admit it to himself. But nothing. No hesitant knocking at his door. No one peering around the corner of his house to see if he was sitting in the patio. Nada. Zilch. Daniel was a no show.

Obviously the foundations he had so callously cracked with his remarks needed more than just a night of quiet normalcy to repair. He tapped Daniel's bishop standing alone on his side of the board, noting the pawns he had surrounding it, ready to take it down. He shook his head sadly.

_He knew Daniel was still standing outside his house for a few seconds after walking out from their conversation. Jack suspected the younger man was probably looking through the glass probably in hopes of finding some reason for his abrupt about face- maybe alien, maybe military. Something that would explain how three years of cautious trust could have been so ill placed. And Jack knew it. He felt it in the back of his neck as he pretended to study the chessboard. The pieces were still in place since the last game they've played weeks before he had to start playing the disgruntled colonel for the damn Tollans. So he twisted the knife a bit more to secure his role as bait and ensure Daniel was far away before the fish snap the lure up._

_Deliberately, Jack began to play the pieces of the last move, without Daniel._

_Knight to Bishop four._

_Jack turned the board and played Daniel's side. And he saw the path the archeologist had set out for himself, unknowingly narrowing his choices until-_

_Checkmate._

_Jack quietly set his other knight to the only spot left, thus ensuring the demise of Daniel's king._

_Check._

_After a few minutes, Jack heard footsteps slowly walking away, as quietly as possible, but Jack heard them as loud as he would a shout. He'd waited a few more minutes, until he heard a distant car drive away before Jack violently pulled his hand away from the board as if burned. He'd stared at the board sadly before putting all the pieces back where they were before, having memorized every position before purposefully messing it up. The board was back to the way it was before and as Jack studied it to make sure nothing was amiss, he wondered if they would even have a chance to finish this game at all._

_Jack smiled grimly, the beer he could taste in his mouth was suddenly very bitter. He hoped to God Maybourne was listening to all this. Don't let all he just destroyed be for nothing. Jack eyed his mantel clock standing along with his medals and pictures and calculated just how long he should wait before Maybourne comes a calling. When he can begin. When Jack can finish this damn business and then go back and mend some fences before the hole gets too big. _

_This better all be worth it, he thought as he picked up his beer again and finished it all in one gulp. This better be damn worth it. _

"God damn it, Daniel," Jack sighed out loud. He stood up, pacing around the coffee table, critically eyeing the game set, periodically tilting his beer back into his mouth for a swallow of bitter brew.

_"Really? Retire?" Daniel looked like an owl as he gawked at him._

_Damn, did his couch have rocks? Jack shifted in his seat, uncomfortable under the astonished expression. Why the hell did Daniel look so surprised? "I was only thinking about it," he pointed out, inwardly wincing at the whinny tone it took. "Just thinking about it."_

_"Did my supposed death upset you __**that**__ much?"_

_Jack blinked at the surprised question. He glanced over to Daniel, who was lounging bonelessly in his armchair as a result of the welcome back party everyone had for him when he was finally released with a clean bill of health from Fraiser. The younger man looked stunned, maybe from all the beer Jack kept pouring into his mug, maybe by how many people who showed up for the celebration. It was the same reaction he had when Hammond interrupted his cultural argument about going back to P3X-797. Daniel had stuttered to a stop, floored that someone actually took his argument face value and accepted it the first time without him hammering it in with his usual tenacity. _

_Somehow the surprise angered Jack. Didn't the guy have any friends who might have felt the same should something have happened to him?_

_Sure, his mind snorted. But she's stuck with a snake in her head somewhere out there in the galaxy._

_The reminder made Jack drop whatever flippant remark he was going to say to ward off the sentiment. "What do you think, Daniel?" he asked quietly, all joking aside._

_Daniel's eyes widened at his sober expression, then softened. With a shy smile, unsure how to react, Daniel lifted his mug towards him. "Um...I think it's a nice thing to realize." He made a face as he took a gulp of beer. "Even if I had to be dead to find out I had a friend."_

_"Friends," Jack corrected him. "Friends, Danny."_

_Another hesitant smile. Jack grinned. He felt warm all over. But nah, not because this geek was growing on him. Probably from all this beer. "Glad to have you back with us, Jackson."_

_"Glad to be back," came the soft reply. Daniel raised his glass in response. "And thanks, for coming back to get me."_

_"Aw, I had nothing better to do. All reruns on television." Jack hid his grin behind his beer as Daniel rolled his eyes._

_"Nice to know I was missed," the archeologist muttered._

_You don't know the half of it, Jack thought to himself, content to just finishing his beer in the presence of good company. _

Jack eyed the clock on his mantle.

Midnight.

A day over and nothing fixed.

Jack heaved a loud sigh out, releasing the sound that had been sitting heavily on his chest. He had thought for sure...

_"Carter," he greeted the major as she wove around airmen with her tray. The major stopped in her tracks when she pinpointed who had just called her._

_Maybe it was his imagination, but did the major pause?_

_"Sir," she greeted Jack without missing another beat. Carter nodded to a soldier passing by and this time, Jack caught the look cast his way. Ah ha. Jack wasn't imagining things._

_Carter must have seen it, too, because she frowned. Just a little, but enough to make the soldier flush and start heading for the soup table in a quicker step. Carter rolled her eyes before sitting down in front of Jack. _

_He eyed the two sandwiches and the fruit precariously balanced on her tray. His mouth twitched with amusement. "A bit hungry, major?"_

_"For Daniel," she explained as she pushed aside a complete meal on her platter before unwrapping a tuna salad sandwich for herself. She took a bite, swallowing before continuing. "Teal'c told me he saw Daniel leaving his office last night to grab a bite to eat, but the commissary was already closed. Thought maybe I should set aside something just in case." She chewed thoughtfully as she eyed the entrance. Jack knew who she was looking for. Hell, wasn't he doing the same for the past few days since the trials'd been done in Washington? After a few seconds, her shoulders slump and she averted her eyes back to her tray. She blinked as something occurred to her._

_"Sir, I thought you were in Washington for the hearings?"_

_Now it was Jack's turn to roll his eyes. "Was. They were going to bring in Neumann and the others, but they haven't found the rest of the brains behind the operation yet. Pentagon is having a field day trying to track them down."_

_"Maybourne?" Sandwich forgotten, Carter stared at Jack, who shook his head. She sighed out loud. _

_"Tell me about it," Jack agreed glumly before scooping up the now lukewarm broth to his lips. After a slurp, he went on "Davis' heading up to Canada to talk to the defense forces there pretty soon in case our guys are deciding to head for that border. I've seen enough trees up there. Last I checked, he was boarding a jet at Reagan's for Toronto. Thought I would let him have the fun of kowtowing to a bunch of politicians this time and headed back here instead." He nodded towards Carter. "How's it going with the inventory?"_

_Making a face, the major took another bite of her sandwich and dabbed the corner of her mouth with a napkin before replying. "Not too good, sir. We've got stuff missing from Nelles as well. Looks like they were pilfering stuff from the research section __**and**__ our allies."_

_"Great, they were equal opportunity rip-off artists." With a grunt, Jack scooped another spoonful of soup. He grimaced and grabbed a dinner roll, tearing off a piece. Giving it a dip in his soup, Jack popped it in his mouth. He gagged. "Shit, you would have thought during my absence the food would taste a bit better by now." He scanned the commissary. His eyebrow rose high as he did a total. "Although looks like it's a bit more popular these days. They started giving out door prizes now?"_

_Carter shrugged. "The vending machines were still down from when Siler tried to upgrade them himself. So it's only the commissary for now."_

_"They're still spitting the sandwiches out at people?" Jack asked, chuckling under his breath. He remembered how loud Ferretti yelled when a roast beef on a roll beaned him seconds after he plunked his money in. It was probably the oddest injury Fraiser had ever encountered. "Poor Ferretti couldn't stand straight for days."_

_"No. Actually, after Teal'c zatted it-"_

_"He what?" Jack's spoon clattered down to the bowl. "He used a zat? When the hell was this?"_

_"Last week, don't you rememb—" Carter stopped. Jack stilled as well. Of course he didn't remember._

_Jack wasn't here last week._

_"I was busy playing I, Spy," he muttered. Jack hid his frown by snatching up his spoon and began shoveling more soup into his mouth._

_"You were doing your duty, sir."_

_"Nice someone can see that." Pausing, Jack checked over his shoulder. Again, no one coming through the double doors. "Damn it."_

_Carter's eyes flicked once over her shoulder as well before she twisted back around again. "Sir, give him time."_

_The spoon clanged violently as it hit the table. "Time for what?" Jack growled. He lowered his voice when he saw heads do a pretty good prairie dog imitation towards their way. "You said it yourself I was doing my duty. You get it. Teal'c gets it. Why can't he?"_

_She didn't need to ask who "he" was. "Daniel's not like one of us, sir. He's not...you know."_

_"He's been here long enough to know." There was no real anger in Jack's tone, though. His shoulders slumped._

_Carter nodded glumly. "Long enough, sure. But to understand?" She sipped her coffee cautiously. Maybe she was delaying her reply. "Sometimes, I can't even understand it myself."_

_A cold sliver went down his spine. "That bad? I really screwed things up for the team, huh?"_

_"No, sir." The reply was too quick, too contrived._

_"Bull."_

_Carter lowered her eyes. "I must admit...if I were Daniel, not Major Carter and just Sam..." She shrugged casually. "I think I would be angry, too. Hurt even." She glanced up, saw Jack's expression and was compelled to add, "Sorry, sir."_

_"Not your fault," Jack replied numbly. Looking at the empty doorway again, he pushed the soup away, his appetite suddenly gone._

O'Neill shook his head sadly once more before heading to the crackling fire in his hearth. He opened its gate, reached for the bucket of sand, ready to snuff the flames out and settle in for the night. He paused, eyeing the clock once more on his mantle, sitting quietly next to his framed display of medals.

_"The President received glowing recommendations about your role in this matter, Jack." Hammond walked around his desk and handed him a heavy thick sheet of paper, the texture felt sandy against Jack's palm as he accepted the letter of commendation from the older man. "There may be a medal in it for you."_

_Jack stared at the letter, but all he could see was Daniel's stunned expression on his white face when Jack told him their years of friendship was a farce. Somehow, a medal didn't seem appropriate for what he did._

Snorting, Jack raised his fist as if to knock the whole frame off the shelf, but at the last second, lowered it. Jack sighed, shaking his head again. Then, slowly, deliberately, Jack tilted the bucket back and watched the grains of sand slowly suffocate the bright fire out. The embers glowed briefly as he watched before finally it dulled to ash, turning cold and lifeless.

Jack couldn't watch anymore. He dropped the bucket to the carpet, not caring that there was still sand remaining and now spread across his floor. Wearily, he yanked his pullover over his head, tossed it over his shoulder. He didn't see it land on the couch as he headed for bed.


	6. Knight to Rook

_The black car barely missed Daniel's as it sped ahead before swerving suddenly into the ditch._

_"God!" Daniel jumped out of his car, stumbling in the dry dirt before he reached the sedan. It was miraculous intact, but he could see two people in the car, one moving, one not. Concern made him quicken his pace, sending him tripping awkwardly down the ditch to reach them. A woman in an odd sort of jumpsuit and oversized jacket tumbled out of the vehicle, a hand to her face._

_"Are you okay?" Daniel demanded as he hurried around to the driver's side, yanking at the car door. The man inside was slumped over the wheel. Daniel couldn't tell how badly injured he was._

_"My h-husband," the woman whimpered, hand to her head still. All he could see was long bangs plastered to her face. She was shaking. God, the poor woman. "I...the brakes wouldn't work...I think…Oh Lord, my husband…I think he's dead!"_

_Daniel closed his eyes briefly in prayer before pulling harder at the door handle. "Stay back," he ordered. "In my car, I have a cell phone. Call 911."_

_The woman didn't move, but Daniel didn't have time to repeat himself as he yanked at the door handle once more, hearing the driver groaning._

_"Sir?" Daniel pried the door open finally, panting as he had to push off with one foot braced on the other door. The driver's side door groaned, metal shrieking, but it reluctantly opened and the driver fell out sideways. Daniel barely caught him in time. "Sir? Are you okay?"_

_The voice was clear and steady. "I'm fine." He raised his head, dark eyes narrowing, lips twisted to a sneer, distorting a pencil thin mustache into an additional smile. _

_"But you're not."_

_Before Daniel could put a name to the face he's only seen briefly once before, a shadow loomed over him. He spun around, saw a brief flash of metal before it came down over him._

With a jolt, Daniel came to. Pain crashed down over him along with the feeling of something was not quite right.

What was going on? Daniel ran his tongue in the inside of his cheek. He could taste the iron tinge of blood dribbling down to the corner of his mouth. Robbery? Daniel threw that idea away immediately. If it was a robbery, then why bring him along? They could have just taken his wallet. He very much doubted he himself would have carried much value in the pawnshop.

_Oh, that's real funny. Did you think that one up yourself?_

Of course, his own inner voice was unsympathetic. Heck, his teammates would probably act the same. Classic set up. He should have stayed in his car and call for help. But no, Daniel Jackson gotta rush in head on like he does with everything else in life. And look where it got him.

No wonder Jack didn't trust him enough to confide in him on his mission.

_Stop it. Not now. No time for the self-pity routine._ Daniel stretched a little, trying to get feeling to return in his cramped back. Daniel blinked blearily at the shadows passing over his face.

Something to do with the project? Daniel chewed his lower lip, grimacing as the car ran over a bump. Lord knows they weren't friends with everyone associated with the SGC. And as Jack would say, over the years, they've "pissed off a lot of people." Was that it?

"What about our car?"

Daniel stilled as he heard talking. As he shifted, to hear what the voice was saying, he grew very aware of the fact that he was in his own backseat. He could see the box of tissue he usually kept in his car thrown carelessly to the car floor. His briefcase with the notes he was going to look over during their standdown was scattered all over the car floor as well, his own handwriting blurring in front of him.

"...Ditched it a few miles down. They'll never find it and the body until it's too late."

Daniel stiffened. Body. Oh God, they, whoever they were, had already killed someone. He raised his head carefully, wincing as the back of his skull pounded with hot intensity. He could see two people in the two front seats, one of the attackers fingering an odd black object in their hands. A gun? He couldn't tell. His eyes were having a hard time focusing.

"...about him?" One of the shadowy heads nodded back towards him. Daniel ducked his head so they wouldn't see he was conscious.

"We could have a little fun with him." Someone laughed.

_Doesn't sound like they want to have me over for tea_, Daniel thought. He eyed the door next to him. Should he dare make a run for it with the car in motion? It didn't feel like they were going very fast. He shifted again, stilling as he realized his hands were tied behind his back. Nuts. Gingerly, Daniel tested them. Not tight, very loose, in fact. Probably thought he would stay out for the entire duration of the trip.

Where were they going anyway?

Daniel gave the binds an experimental tug and was rewarded with a knot loosening around his wrists. He blinked away the last of his dizziness, although his head still ached, pounding excessively as he twisted the ropes behind him.

"Might not talk…"

"Once we explain…sure he…" The car jumped over a pothole or bump and his ears rang. "Understand…might help us…"

"Maybe…if not…"

"He will. I'm sure he will."

"I could always make sure of it."

Of course someone would be enjoying this. Daniel's brow knitted together as he felt the ropes slip out of a knot. Almost there. Come on...He could do this. He's done this before.

_"Um...I don't think this is what the general was referring to as training."_

_Jack appeared upside down to him. The older man had his arms folded across his chest, looking like he was standing on his head as Daniel twisted in the ties that bound his hands behind his back._

_"Forty seconds, Jackson." _

_"Jack, I can't see the knots to undo them!"_

_"Well, of course not!"_

_"Then how am I suppose to untie them?" Daniel twisted, ramming his nose on Jack's calves as he rolled uncontrollably. "Ow!"_

_Jack sighed. "Why don't you ask the next bad guy who gets us tied up? I can see it now. Excuse me, Mister Scumbag, sir. Could you make sure you tie my hands to the __**front**__ so I can see the knots to untie them? Sure. I'm sure they'll be glad to oblige." He snorted. "Time's running out."_

_"Jack!"_

_The colonel raised his wrist and tapped at his watch. "Twenty one...twenty..."_

The ropes weren't as tight compared to the first time Jack had took it upon himself to train him in "Survival skills" as he called them. Of course, Daniel never really had a chance to test them out. They were usually either tied together, or before Daniel could even try, Jack or Teal'c always came barreling through the enemy like hellfire.

Now's as good a place as any to try.

_Daniel grunted. Lord, the knots were tight. His legs were folded uncomfortably under him and the gym mat had more dust than he wished to know. Daniel wanted to scratch his nose so badly. Unfortunately, his hands were behind him, but God, it really itched now..._

_"Argh...Damn it!"_

_Jack's eyebrow went down, no, make that up actually, as he loomed over him. "Uh, you wasted two seconds for that?"_

_"Gr..."_

_"Temper, temper, Danny boy."_

_"Colonel, SG-11 radioed in. We're going to have to go in after them. One of them accidentally offended the maiden's fath—Holy Hannah!"_

_Another face popped up upside down now. "Uh...Daniel?" Sam blinked at him._

_The sweat was plastering his bangs over his eyes. "Captain? Doctor?"_

_"Sam," she corrected him. He kept forgetting. She crouched down and whistled. "Wow, those are tight!" Daniel could see her raising her head towards Jack. "Isn't that a little extreme, sir?"_

_"Hey, he got them that tight. I actually had them very loose for him to start with," Jack defended himself. "Fourteen seconds."_

_"Sam, help!" Daniel wheezed. His nose was killing him now. He tugged his hands apart, trying to loosen them. He stiffened. Did he just felt a knot slip? Eagerly, he gave his hand a hard yank before he heard Jack's bark._

_"No, wait! Don't—"_

_Too late. Daniel yelped as his left wrist scraped at the coarse rope before slipping free. A line of fire scorched up his wrist, to his palm until his fingers felt like they were ignite in flame. The rest of the rope was now being pulled frantically by both Jack and Sam as Daniel cradled his left hand to his chest. Oddly enough, his nose didn't itch anymore._

_"Ow." Daniel's face scrunched up in pain._

_"Hey. Hey, Daniel! Let me see. Come on, just let me see..."_

_Daniel reluctantly uncurled his hand and felt callused fingers probing the fleshy part of his palm and wrist. He opened his eyes at Jack's sigh. The older man rocked back on his heels, relieved._

_"Okay, looks like only a rope burn. Should have the medics look at that anyway and-"_

_Jack's watch beeped. Time's up. Daniel did it._

_And Daniel suddenly heard applause. He twisted his head around and was dismayed to find a crowd by the gym door._

_"Way to go, Jackson!"_

_"Alright, Daniel!"_

_"Whoo hoo!"_

_Daniel gave a glare to Jack as the older man sheepishly collected his winnings from the losers, avoiding both his and Sam's accusing eyes._

There! Daniel almost shouted as he felt the last knot relax before falling away from his wrists. He peered up cautiously and saw the two heads still turned forward. Good, they hadn't notice. He twisted around and eyed the landscape whizzing by, a blur of greenery set against a dark sky zipped past the passenger window, but no signs of telephone or electrical poles.

Okay, what to do? He could wait to see where they were heading and get off then. Make a break for it. If anything else, Daniel was good at running, especially when needed. Though he could make a break for it now before they get too far away. The green flashes across the windows told him it was a lot of trees, surely ample places to hide and avoid his captors as he find civilization and hopefully a phone. Or maybe he could wait for the car to slow down. Maybe jump out now while they're still unaware. No. Horrific scenarios of him being caught under the wheels of his own car should he miscalculate sneered in his mind. Maybe—

The car stopped.

Daniel froze when he felt the vehicle shudder still, followed by two quick slams of the doors. He could hear the two talking outside. Cautiously, Daniel turned his head and watched as the lighter colored head bob away from his field of view, leaving the other assailant alone.

Fingering the rope so hopefully it appeared to still be looped around his hands, Daniel held his breath as he waited.

The door closest to his head opened a crack. Daniel could feel his captor's gaze burning over the top of his head. He kept still though, wishing his heart wasn't hammering so loudly. Surely they could hear it.

The person grunted, a deep voice Daniel tagged as male before he felt wiry fingers grasping the collar of his jacket. With a violent tug, he felt himself being dragged out of the car. He bit his lip as he felt himself drop when he was completely out of the car. He could feel the rough surface of the ground scraping his cheek—firm, somewhat smooth. A highway? He hoped so. Hands gripped the back of his head, patting around his skull to feel for lumps before moving down to explore his arms. Automatically, Daniel tightened his fingers, hoping they didn't see the ropes were undone until it was too late.

The moment Daniel felt fingers pressing against his jugular to check for a pulse, he acted.

Twisting as if waking, Daniel let go of the ropes and swung his arms forward. He felt his fists contacting the waist of his captor, heard a grunt. He didn't wait for the rest. Daniel could practically hear Jack's voice from long ago training sessions he had to take before he could permanently join SG-1.

_Move fast. Don't stop._

It was all Daniel could think about. Didn't even bother to see who it was. He felt a tug on his legs as he wiggled away for freedom. Daniel shouted as he found himself slamming hard on what definitely felt like pavement. He flinched, his chin stung with cuts from sharp rocks before frantically kicking out at his kidnapper.

A howl told him he made his target and the hands on his ankles were gone. Daniel winced. It didn't sound too good. But he didn't stop to apologize. He just ran.

And ran.

He could feel branches whipping past him, scratches clawed into his face and throat as he slammed against trees, stumbled over bushes. A forest. He was in some kind of forest. If he didn't know better, he would have thought he was on another planet.

He heard shouting, far closer than he would have liked. Daniel knew he should be hiding his tracks, set up something to slow them down, but all he could do was run. And think of how unlike on another planet, there was no one here to back him up, no Stargate to leap through to safety.

How ironic.

It was more dangerous on his home planet than it was on any Goa'uld infested colony they've encountered.

_Shut up and keep running, Jackson!_

Okay, that was Jack. Wouldn't it be just apt for Jack to be hollering now. To think Daniel was avoiding talking with Jack all this time and now he was wishing the gruff colonel was here at this very moment.

Direction. He needed direction! Daniel realized with a start he could be running in circles, the highway he felt under his body before could be too far away now. His eyes watered as he struggled to breathe during his maddening race. His legs wobbled from the upward rise the ground was taking. He paused, having no choice really as his chest burned with exertion. He heaved, spots dancing in front of him. He leaned one shoulder against a moss-covered tree, gulping air as quietly as he could, eyes darting left and right to see if they had caught up.

Nothing.

_Not safe yet. Not safe yet_, he thought as he wiped his sleeve across his mouth. Breathless, he surveyed his surroundings. Trees stood over him unsympathetically, swaying to a chilly breeze that swept over his head. He couldn't tell where he was. Daniel couldn't even guess if he was still in Colorado or not. But probably was. The car ride wasn't too long. Was it? Couldn't have been. The sun was only starting to set when he left the base, the sky decorated already with bright points of light. Now the sky was pitch black, the ever present moon bright enough to show him he was isolated, alone. But where? Where was he?

_Crack._

Daniel heard a twig break. Instinct made him turn around, but a little voice in his head told him what he should really be doing was run in the opposite direction of the sound. Too late though as he saw a thin face, red with fury, then a shadow cross that face as another approached behind Daniel. Before he could react, something sizzled and he felt the prick of something up against his back before an electric fire made him finally cry out after prolonged silence. His knees buckled, but they still carried him a few inches away from whatever it was that hurt him.

Not enough.

He heard a curse from the man, a blurry familiar face. But Daniel couldn't make the connection as he felt a fist ram into his abdomen which sent his knees dropping to the damp ground, pulling the rest of his body along with them.

"Shouldn't have done that, Doctor Jackson," a hiss burned in his right ear. With a jerk, Daniel felt his arms yanked painfully behind him. He thought he heard something pop in his spine as a knee pressed down the small of his back.

Another bolt of pain shot through his body and Daniel cried out once more. His arms shook with the agony. Someone swore and let go. He couldn't stop himself from falling. Shaking, trembling as another tremor coursed through his legs. God! He twisted, vomiting to his left, shaking too much to roll away from the stench. Daniel could hear shouting above him, distorted, angry, arguing. Someone was telling another to stop. Yes, please, God, stop. Another jolt and now he couldn't feel his legs. Daniel cried out. He saw the trees darken to mere shadows, the cold wind he felt before now colder and all he could think of when he sagged to the wet ground was that the man somehow knew his name.

_Guess this isn't just a robbery after all_, was his last thought before he sank to oblivion.


	7. Counterplay

_Daniel looked at a loss for words for the first time Jack had ever seen. He felt a jab of regret in his chest and hid it by playing with his beer bottle, keeping his expression neutral. _

_"So this whole...uh...this whole friendship thing we've been working on the last few years..."_

_"Apparently not much of a foundation there, huh?" Jack drawled. He saw a flash of shock, a glimmer of pain and the smirk Jack had forced on his lips dropped faster than his heart did. Daniel winced, reacting like a knife had nicked him or worse, dug a hole in his heart. He rose to his feet, mumbling he had to go, his jacket folded over his arm like a flimsy shield. _

_God, this wasn't worth it. It wasn't. Jack rose to his feet, his beer down on his coffee table with a thump. Damn, Daniel moved fast. The younger man was already up the steps, opening the door before Jack grab his forearm tightly._

_Daniel gave a little jump, turning around questioningly._

_"Jack?" The hurt was still audible in the words._

_"It's not what you think," Jack whispered under his breath, close to Daniel's ear. He squeezed the arm tighter, feeling tense muscle under cotton in his grip. "I swear to you. Trust me. No matter what happens now, trust me, okay?"_

_Speechless, Daniel stepped back and stared at Jack. His blue eyes flickered across the plane of his face. Then they widened, reading Jack's mind like he somehow could at times. Daniel didn't ask anything more. _

_He just nodded._

_Relieved, Jack released his arm. Thank God. It wasn't irreparable. It'll be okay. "Thanks," he whispered, keeping his voice down. _

_Daniel gave a brief smile. "Okay, Jack. I'm sure you have a reason," he replied in just as low of a voice. "I trus—"_

_Ping._

_It sounded like glass breaking. Like the champagne glass he broke during his and Sara's honeymoon. Filled with too much Chardonnay, they had miscalculated and cracked their glasses as they gave their toast. But it sounded so merry for such a happy occasion._

_It wasn't like that here._

_Daniel's eyes widened as if he heard the sound too, but that was impossible, because it was so soft. He looked at Jack, opened his mouth, but nothing came out._

_That was when Jack saw the blood._

_"Oh God!" Jack reached forward and caught the sagging archeologist. As he fell to the floor, Jack heard wheels squealing, a dark van driving away, but it didn't matter now. It didn't. _

_"Take it easy. It'll be okay. Just hang in there..." Jack could see Daniel still trying to speak. "Sh...nothing. Okay? It'll be okay. Trust me."_

_Blue eyes, half-mast, and gazed back at Jack. He could see the "Why?" in the eyes, read the fear in the hand clutching Jack's shirt. Before Jack could repeat his reassurances, he felt Daniel shudder, the hand loosening from his shirt, and then the body still..._

"**NO!**"

Something crashed as Jack jerked awake with a hoarse shout. He literally clawed the bed, head whipping side to side as he checked.

His bedroom.

Nightmare. It was a goddamn nightmare.

Chest pounding, Jack stared blankly at the alarm clock he had set out of habit, even when he was off today. The clock suffered the brunt of his dreams, the bells ringing brokenly as its shattered glass surface pierced its own face. His aching right hand told him the whole story already.

"Just a dream, O'Neill," Jack muttered. He leaned forward, his hands bracing his head to keep the drums from pounding his skull into pieces. "Didn't happen, okay? Didn't happen."

It didn't happen because Jack bit the bullet and let Daniel walk out the door. So he's alive, the rest of his team's alive. Okay, he probably wrecked something real good within his group, his family if he would dare to admit it, but hey, they were alive.

Small comforts.

Jack scrubbed his face with shaky hands, grimacing at the powdery taste in his mouth. Tossing and turning most of the night, Jack had finally succumb to sleep when his body screamed "Enough already!", only to wake up hours later to Jack O'Vision.

With a groan, he twisted around, kicking off the blankets tangled around his legs, and sat on the edge of his bed. What was the point? He knew the routine. Sleep was as elusive as reading the thoughts of a certain archeologist.

_Speaking of which…_Scrubbing his face wearily, Jack eyed his phone on the nightstand. No messages.

"Daniel, you can be pretty stubborn at times," Jack spoke out loud. He stretched out, flexing his fingers. The older man stared at the phone again. Jack set his jaw. Daniel was going to have to come out sooner or later. Hell, he could be pretty stubborn, too, right? Ask any eye glowing pissed off ET and they'll tell you.

Especially if Jack was pounding the nails off his door at almost four o'clock in the morning.

The colonel punched his pillow. He could, of course, try once more to get some sleep, crawl back into the still warm covers, and head out first thing to Daniel's place in the real morning. Would be the decent thing to do rather than ambush the guy while he was still half-asleep. Hm, and certainly bringing breakfast couldn't hurt- maybe a nice Starbucks coffee that usually had Daniel up and walking before his eyes were open, and those funny three berry jelly donuts he seemed to favor more than Jack's preferred morning meal of tacos and Boston Cremes. Sure, he could wait til morning, when Daniel had a good night's sleep, and hopefully ole Jackie boy, too.

_Nah._

Jack swung his legs off the bed. He sleepily gave his stomach a halfhearted scratch under his t-shirt before stretching. He yawned, pulling the rumpled shirt off and exchanged it for a clean one, letting the other one drop to the floor. Shit, it was cold, he calculated as he rose to his feet with a grimace. He shuffled towards the kitchen, retrieving the discarded pullover from the couch and yanked it over his head, threading his arms through the sleeves. With another yawn, he poured the remaining coffee out into a clean mug. Jack was slurping through the dregs of the brew as he scanned the room for his keys and wallet.

How did that saying go again? If Mohammed can't come to the mountain?

"Well, Mohammed, guess I'll be bringing the mountain to you then," Jack murmured. He headed straight for the door, already making a mental list of food to pick up before he goes banging on Daniel's apartment door.


	8. Initiative

Nada.

Zip.

A few hours later, Jack trudged through his front door, tossing the sack of now cold coffee and donuts he had picked up as a peace offering onto the kitchen counter. After trying Daniel's door a few times, even resorting to shouting up to his balcony window, which was probably stupid judging the catcalls he received, Jack knew it was time to head home.

Damn.

He'd hoped Daniel had stopped hiding in his lab long enough to head home at least. But obviously not. Jack should have known when he didn't see Daniel's dinosaur of a sedan parked out front, but then again Jack was a pretty optimistic kind of guy.

With an angry scowl, Jack grabbed a beer out of the refrigerator and practically ripped the tab off.

And then the phone rang.

Eyes at the clock on the mantle, grunting at the time, Jack wondered who could be calling at such a goddamn hour. "Coming, coming," he muttered and picked up the phone by the kitchen counter, drawling "Whatever you're selling, I already got two." He frowned as he heard no reply. "Hello?"

"How much for an archeologist, Colonel?" a low voice rumbled. The menace in the tone made Jack put down his beer immediately. Jack gripped the phone a little tighter. He scanned his living room through the kitchen alcove. Nothing looked disturbed. "Better yet, sir," the voice went on in a low growl, "What's the penalty for treason against your own team?"

"Don't know what ya talking about." Jack balanced the phone on his shoulder as he went to the door. He peered through the window by his door and scrutinized the street highlighted by the street lamp outside and the slither of light from a new morning. No one was out there. No odd non-descript van lurking outside his front lawn. Prank call? He dismissed it quickly. Prank calls didn't exist in Jack's line of work. No, the caller knew his rank, too. No loony calling to see if his refrigerator was running. "Who is this?" Jack narrowed his eyes. A little voice that was whispering before was now hollering for him to get under some cover now.

"How quick you forget the ones you sold out, Colonel," the voice went on taunting. "I'll bet you don't forget your friends that easily though, do you?"

A soft sizzle could be heard in the distance and a garbled cry followed, barely audible, yet frighteningly familiar enough to send a shock coursing up his arms then down his spine. Daniel! The recognition made Jack gripped the phone with both hands now.

"Who is this?" he barked.

"We'll call again in an hour. You call anyone. **Anyone**, and you'll be getting him in pieces!"

Before Jack could get in another word, the phone hung up.

And Jack finally drew a name.

Neumann.

"Son of a bitch!"


	9. Rook Takes Bishop

Daniel bit back a groan when the sensation of damp wood, the smell of dust and mildew refreshed his memory. His eyes widened and his new surroundings opened up to reveal a cramped space, white covered furnishing that looked like silent ghosts standing over him without pity. Daniel stared at the wooden legs of a covered end table before he felt the floor jump. Someone was walking around in the next room, the door dividing the two rooms swung back and forth. He shifted, feeling vibrations on the surface he was on, rough wood scraping on his cheek, the bit of coarse rope pulling his arms painfully back.

"What the hell did you do? Fry his brains?"

Daniel frowned to himself. The male voice didn't sound like he was concerned about Daniel's welfare. The voice sounded more annoyed than anything else.

"I'm the one who had to carry his damn body all the way up here," the male continued on. "Would have been better if we got him up here on his own two feet instead. You shouldn't have added that much juice to the thing."

"Don't be such a sissy Neumann," another answered in a weed thin voice. Female. "You think carrying around this shit with a meager nine volt in it was going to help us?" She snorted. "You let **me** be the engineer, Neumann. I'll get you the firepower you need."

Neumann. He could hear the soldier griping to someone. While the voice wasn't familiar, he could see the lanky renegade pacing left and right, arms waving at the other. They were tilted, his view distorted by his prone position on the ground and they looked like they were walking on the wall. Up and down the thin, harried man went, baggy gray jumpsuit shifting as he moved, the sound of chains trailing behind him. Daniel squinted. God, his head was killing him! Blearily, he could make out the blunt ends of a broken chain, cuffed around one ankle of a boot. Clang, clang they went, his headache magnifying the sound to a low roar in his ears.

"You wanted me to get the colonel's attention. And it did. You heard how he was practically chewing on the phone," the other went on to saying. The female again. Daniel searched his brain and came up with a name finally. Lieutenant Tobias. He read it in Jack's report. She was the only female of the rogue team Jack was commanding. Had to be her.

"Besides..." She chuckled, sounding not at all friendly. "The geek squirmed quite nicely, didn't he?"

A furious storm of memories flooded over him of a surprised spark he had felt on his back, then his collarbone, burning what felt like to the very bone. A charge so abrupt, so sudden, he didn't have time to cry out as a shock raced down his spine before slamming into a cold, damp ground, the dew seeping into his clothing. He remembered another one, on his ribs before he realized the draft of cold air he felt was they yanked up his shirt. A whisper "Hello, civie," burned his ear before another bolt came and he was crashing to the earth again, limbs trembling beyond his control to command them.

"I told you to make him talk so O'Neill could hear him," Neumann sounded annoyed. "Not fry him again. We need him to give us an address to dial out. You keep toasting him like a vegetable and he won't even be able to remember his **own** address!"

_Address?_

_O'Neill?_

_Jack. _Daniel lifted his head. He gagged, nausea made his stomach roll, and he pressed his cheek to the floor until the spinning past.

"You know, we should have taken Andy with us," Tobias shot back. "Or Richards, or Jeollado."

Neumann's chains rattled as his pacing picked up. "Look, we were lucky we got out when we could, okay? You heard those guys coming. We'd stayed any longer and we wouldn't have a chance to try this!"

"We could have gotten them, still." Tobias abruptly rose to her feet. She stuck the item back into her pocket. "If we spared a few minutes—"

"Tobias, we would have been either back in the cell, or worse, judging what that guard told us when we were locked up, be dead with possibly some of our team."

"They're going to take them to where they were going to take us—"

"I heard you, okay? I heard you," Neumann gritted out. The pacing began again.

"They're going to kil—"

"I said I know, Lieutenant!"

Dead silence.

"Is that all you wanted to tell me?" Neumann's voice was lower again. He sounded like he regretted shouting.

"Yeah," Tobias bit out. "That was all. Just thought I would remind you."

"Trust me, it's a hard thing to forget."

Daniel stiffened and heard the floor creak under him, betraying the fact he was alert. The door swung completely open and two shadows filled the threshold.

"Well, well," Neumann commented. Twin sets of footsteps vibrated across the rickety wood. "Look who's finally awake."

Daniel tried not to flinch as he felt a hand card through his short hair before an abrupt yank jerked his head up to see beady brown eyes studying his face. Daniel stared squarely back at him, resisting the urge to lean away as the face pressed closer.

"Should have told us when you woke up, Doc," Neumann whispered. A fist bunched around the collar of Daniel's shirt, bringing him up to his knees. "Not nice to eavesdrop on other people's conversations."

"Also not nice to steal other people's property," Daniel retorted before he could stop himself. He suddenly found himself back on the floor, ears ringing.

Neumann shook his hand, swearing softly. "Damn, Jackson. You have a hard head."

_Remind me to stop talking like Jack_, Daniel thought with a wince as he lay there. He tried to touch his jaw, to see if his lip was bleeding before he remembered his hands were bound behind him now.

"What's the matter, civie?" cooed Tobias. She approached him, her steps slow and deliberate. She leaned over, her hand stroking up and down Daniel's jaw. The archeologist made a point to stare at a spot on the wall. His skin itched where the woman touched. He jumped as nails raked over the cut on his forehead. "Poor civie. Did that hurt? I'm so sorry." Tobias gave the gash a light pat, then another, finishing off with a resounding whack. Daniel's head snapped back. She pulled away. "You wanna ask him or should I?"

"Ask what?" Daniel's gaze darted from Neumann to Tobias and back. He rolled his tongue around the inside of his cheek. He flinched when he found a cut just inside his lip. "Ask me what?"

Neumann folded his arms and leaned back against the wall. "Jackson…we can make this pretty simple." He rubbed his knuckles distractedly as he continued. "You give us what we need and I'll let you go."

A snort cut Neumann off. He turned, looking sideways at Tobias, who merely sat there, balanced on the balls of her feet, her fingers drumming on her knees.

"I don't have anything," Daniel muttered. He winced as he saw Tobias' shadow stretched to touch his. For some reason, the female soldier's stare burned through the top of his head.

"You haven't even heard what we wanted, civie," Tobias tsked. She smirked at Neumann. "See? We should just take him with us through the—"

"Tobias."

The female soldier fell silent, her lips pressed together as she glared at Daniel.

"Addresses, Doctor Jackson." Neumann's grave expression stared back at Daniel. "We need addresses."

"Addresses?" Daniel pretended to think it over. "Why don't you try the yellow pages—"

Something sharp, so sudden, stung on his side, through his sweater. It was so quick, so hot, Daniel reared up on his knees, earning another on his collarbone. Daniel cried out, falling hard on his right arm. Dust flew up and he coughed.

"A smart mouth like that can get you in a lot of trouble, civie," snapped Tobias, her breath hot in his ears.

Winded, Daniel laid curled on his side before he shakily rose back on his knees. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as Tobias rocked away with a smirk. She flexed her fingers, knuckles cracking. She waved an open palm at Neumann. The other soldier shrugged. The only warning Daniel got was an oddly twisted grin before—

Whack!

Daniel fell back, slamming into a table behind him. The hot pulse of a bruise developing flared up on his right cheek.

Tobias stood there with a huge smile. It was like she'd gotten an unexpected Christmas present.

"Well?" Neumann's voice was calm, quiet compared to the rapid panting from Tobias. The female soldier took a step forward. "No. Wait." Her left eye twitched, but she retracted back. "Doctor Jackson, we only need something from you and that'll be it."

Daniel chose to stare at the floorboards again.

A boot swung up and Daniel cried out as it slammed hard into his lower ribs. Daniel rolled, his knees drawn up to block the next blow, but then he heard a zap and suddenly he found himself shaking uncontrollably under two pairs of boots.

"Quit it!" Neumann sounded furious. "What did I just tell you?"

"Look, I told you he isn't going to tal—"

"Not if you keep screwing around with him like that!"

"Oh," Tobias purred. "Hasn't come to that yet, Neumann."

The room fell into silence.

Daniel laid there, gulping in musty air. He was too winded to move, to raise his head and see why everyone had stopped talking.

"Get the fuck away from him, Lieutenant," Neumann snapped. "I won't have any member of my team resort to—"

"You don't have a team anymore because of O'Neill, remember?" snapped Tobias.

Neumann's jaw audibly snapped shut. His eyes narrowed to slits.

"Forget this crap. Come on." Tobias sounded impatient. The woman tapped the toe of her boot on the floor, the hollow rhythmic sound oddly mimicking Daniel's own heartbeat. "They're probably going to be moving the others soon. You have to call him now."

_Others?_

Daniel silently tracked Neumann as the rogue gave him a look oddly equal to pity before it morphed into resentment . The rogue stomped across the wooden floor again, entered another room, and snatched up something small and gray. Daniel's cell phone. Daniel stretched out to see, raising himself up with a weak push of his right shoulder. The archeologist tensed when he felt a slender pair of hands slip reach out to touch him.

"Later, civie," Tobias murmured before her hand brushed up the nape of his neck, then giving his head a pat, her fingers drifting down to his jaw before she rose to her feet. The female rogue sauntered back to Neumann in the next room. She looked over her shoulder, smirking at Daniel before sitting down on a cloth-covered couch, crossing her legs. The broken chain around her ankle jangled loudly. She then turned her back on him, waiting as Neumann made his call.

Daniel twisted away, rolling to his side as he checked his surroundings. His vision cleared some more and he could make out windows. Judging from the darkness in-between the planks that boarded up the windows, it was still night. But how long was he out? How long was the ride? And for that matter, where was he? He turned again, grunting as he heard Neumann calling someone, not paying attention to him. Daniel flipped himself to lie back on the floor and saw the high angled ceiling, logs intersecting to form a peak.

A cabin. Made sense. When they'd stopped, all he saw was a wooded area. Okay, so it ruled out somewhere in town.

Daniel frowned. Everything was hazy after he had tried to escape. He mentally groaned, realizing now how they must have cut him off to surround him in the forest. Stupid, stupid! He could hear Jack berating him for getting caught so easily. Oh heck, Sam and Teal'c would probably shake their heads at him, too. He chewed his lip, wincing as it pulled a very sore muscle as he did, thinking frantically. He couldn't recall anything out of the ordinary of where he was. No recognizable landmarks or signs that would have told him a clue when he had bolted.Testing his binds, Daniel tugged at his wrists and hissed under his breath as rough fibers dug into skin. He twisted and felt the same tie binds on his ankles. Ow. He gave that up for now. They were too tight and despite the numb feeling in his hands and legs, Daniel knew the ropes were doing their damage. His hands would be pretty much useless in defending himself and crawling wouldn't be the best plan for escape. Daniel thumped his head lightly against the floor, frustrated. Then he winced again. Another ow. He'd just found the lump from where Tobias struck him before.

"Alone, O'Neill. I see anyone and you know the rest of that story."

Daniel rolled to his side, staring at the next room. Tobias had already dismissed him as a threat, sitting there rhythmically drumming her fingers on a raised knee, listening as Neumann bargained.

"You know the road, Colonel. You've got two hours to get here starting from the moment I hang up."

Jack was coming.

Daniel stared apprehensively at Neumann as the renegade shut the cell phone with a loud click, tossing it on the couch. He kept his eyes on Neumann as the man came closer to him. Tobias planted herself by the doorway, a smirk on her lips as she folded her arms to watch. Neumann abruptly grabbed him by the collars and hauled him up to his knees. Daniel's arms dangled behind him as he was forced to go nose to nose with the rogue.

"Your colonel fooled all of us, Jackson. Pretending to believe in our operation," Neumann hissed. "Playing undercover hero for a bunch of snotty aliens." Without warning, Neumann let go and Daniel crashed to the floor again.

"Why are you doing this?" Daniel managed, staring steadily at him.

"Ooh, negotiating with the enemy, huh?" Tobias cooed. Her boots thumped loudly on the floor as she came over. She studied Daniel for a moment. Abruptly, Tobias smacked her palm against Daniel's ear. The archeologist jerked his head away and got another one for it in the other direction. The room spun, then righted itself back to two very angry looking faces. "See you learned some stuff with Colonel O'Neill. Nice to see we're not just paying you to read books." The female rogue walked her fingers up his sweater. Daniel could have sworn he felt goosebumps prickling under her touch. Tobias' eyes gleamed as she lowered her voice. "You're kinda pretty. Did they pay you to do anything else as well?"

Daniel twisted away from her. Neumann commented on this with only a disgusted sound. Daniel slammed into the table violently when Tobias rammed the stun gun under his shirt and released a charge. She tsked as Daniel folded, doubled over on his knees. Daniel swallowed, gulping as nausea churned in his belly.

"How the hell he survived three years out there, I can't figure," she murmured. Tobias tapped her foot on Daniel's back. "Learned how to duck pretty good, hm, civie?" The next tap knocked Daniel to the side. The archeologist gasped, his knees drawn up to protect his middle.

"I wasn't kidding, Tobias," Neumann said tightly.

The female snorted, but thankfully, she did back off, tilting her head to the side as she observed Daniel. The archeologist rocked back until he was facing them from the ground.

A small, elongated black device wavered in front of him, two little nail like spikes sizzled with a blue spark between its tips inches from Daniel's face. The stun gun snarled once more before it was pulled away.

"Nice, huh?" Neumann remarked as if they were just sitting around having coffee. "Lifted it from one of those guards coming in to…escort us out of that prison. He won't be needing it anymore." He waved Tobias off when the lieutenant leaned closer with the device. "Tobias here can fix anything and take apart anything. You could probably give her a battery and she'll make enough of a punch out of it to take out a city block with it."

"You escaped?" Daniel managed out, gulping air. The move took him off guard and now his side ached as if the boot was still there, digging under his ribs.

"We shouldn't have been in jail in the first place," snapped Neumann. His hands bunched into tight fists. "Everyone who tried to stop us got what they deserved, Jackson. Every single one of them."

Tobias merely scowled.

Daniel grunted, struggling until he was sitting up on his elbows. "What are you doing? Why are you telling Jack to come here?"

"Oh, it's **Jack** now," Tobias noted, the sneer evident in her voice. Daniel bit back a response, realizing his mistake. "How sweet." She walked up, elbow leaning on Neumann's shoulder. "Friends?" she directed the question to her partner.

"I don't know about that," Neumann commented in a dry voice. "The colonel told him some pretty harsh things back then."

Daniel stilled.

The female soldier paused, a broad grin from ear to ear, a thin eyebrow arched high with mock surprise. "Oh? You didn't know? Your friend **Jack's** house was bugged."

Neumann touched his chin, head back as he tried to recall. "What was it he said, Tobias?"

"Think it was something about foundations." The woman smirked.

Daniel narrowed his eyes at the pair.

"Now, now. Don't look like that," Tobias purred. She tucked a strand of dirty blonde hair behind her ear as she tsked. "We sympathized. We did. When Maybourne played the tape to us over and over again to prove O'Neill was okay to come aboard, we felt for you. They were pretty harsh words, indeed."

_ "This whole...uh...this whole friendship thing we've been working on the last few years..."_

_"Apparently not much of a foundation there, huh?"_

"Our colonel is a pretty good actor," Neumann said tightly. He circled around Daniel. "Had not just you fooled, but us, too." The rogue snorted. "Damn backstabber."

"He was doing his job." Daniel winced. It sounded lame spoken out loud.

"He was betraying his country," Neumann bit back. He crouched down and leaned forward. Daniel could see his own face in the eyes before him.

"Betray?" Shaking his head, Daniel felt the need to lean back, away from Neumann. He found his back up against Tobias' legs. The female abruptly bent her knees, shoving him hard forward.

"You were stealing what didn't belong to you," Daniel blurted out. "We would have lost a crucial alliance."

"We were protecting ourselves," snapped Neumann. "Your alien buddies gave us squat. Squat for three years! What if Apophis had come back? Can't be lucky all the time. You think we were going to roll over and die when the Goa'ulds come barging in? Huh?" He spat to the side in disgust. "Alliance my ass!"

"We need them for that very same reason-" Daniel began. He hissed when Tobias slapped a hand over his ribs, shoving hard on a burn. Daniel reared back, "You don't want to do this," Daniel tried again, lowering his voice, trying to stay calm. "I know you don't agree that the alliances were very productive, but—" He choked as an arm wrapped around his throat from behind.

"We need their weapons! That's what we need! Not some signature on a piece of paper! And they weren't going to give it to us…primitive humans!" Tobias rasped into Daniel's ear. Her arm curled tighter into a vise. Daniel gritted his teeth. "Must have surprised them to realize we were smart enough to go behind their backs and take it anyway. Lovely toys they had. Very useful. Don't you think so, civie?"

Daniel couldn't reply. He struggled feebly as the hand clenched even tighter, around his Adam's apple now.

Neumann stayed where he was, watching.

" I think I can convince our little civie of our cause." The smirk was audible in her voice.

Daniel twisted violently away from her. She laughed as she watched him slam into the floor.

Neumann appeared watery when Daniel raised his head with some effort. "We're not the bad guys here, Jackson." He pointed towards the roof. "Real bad guys are floating up in their big ships, waiting for another chance to visit us."

_"Stuff that interests people like you, Daniel, not people like me. I wanna see tangible gains from our efforts. And if people like the Tollans don't wanna share us, we should just...take."_

_"You really believe that."_

_"Being sweet and nice isn't going to stop three or four Goa'uld mother ships if they decide to come back again. Rather be a thief and alive than honest and dead. It's a cliché but there it is."_

"Better to be a thief and alive than honest and dead," Daniel croaked, remembering Jack's words as clear as if they were spoken to him.

Tobias laughed. "Very good, civie. Very good. You **do** have brains. I can see why they hired you."

Neumann snorted as he came up to Daniel again. "Exactly. And our new commander, your colonel, your...**Jack**...sold us out!"

Daniel stared at the pair. "He didn't sell you out. He was…" He tried to work the words out, but they still sounded false even in his own ears. "He was doing his job."

"Well, so were we." Pacing around the room, circling Daniel, Neumann had his hands folded behind him. It oddly reminded Daniel of General Hammond for a moment. "All of us were. I know what you were thinking, Jackson. We weren't in it for the money. We were doing what we knew was right."

"You were stealing what wasn't yours—" Daniel yelped as something hard rammed him on the kidneys from behind and he slammed back into the table. Dust rose and flew around the room, bringing a haze over Tobias, obscuring the rage in the pale face. Daniel threw his shoulder forward like Jack had trained him many times before, blocking the next kick, but he couldn't prevent the surprising bolt that raced up his side. Daniel gave a garbled shout before he slid down to the floor, heaving.

"Lieutenant!"

The stun gun sizzled again.

"No!" Daniel butted her with his shoulder and the soldier tumbled back. With a shout, she lunged forward, the pincers on her weapon glowed brighter than any Goa'uld eyes did. Daniel jerked away, scrunching up his eyes, bracing for the blow.

"I said enough!"

Cautiously, Daniel peered up. To his surprise, Neumann had a firm grip on Tobias' forearm.

"I said we're not going to work that way, Tobias."

The female's eyes blazed. "I don't know why the hell you're helping this…this…"

"Because he's not the problem," Neumann told her quietly.

"The hell he isn't! He is **part** of the problem! He's probably one of the ones encouraging we roll over for the damn aliens!" Tobias waved the electric weapon at Daniel. "Why the hell do you think they originally wanted to get rid of hi—"

"Lieutenant Tobias!"

Even Daniel jumped at the tone. It reminded him of General Hammond. Stunned to silence, Tobias' hand lowered.

Neumann lowered his voice, his words quick. "No matter what, even if we disagree with their ways, our main mission is what?" He gave Tobias' arm a shake. "What is it?"

"Retrieve the others and head for Shadow base nine," Tobias responded automatically. "Restart our Earth defense team."

Daniel looked at the pair with wide eyes. "You want to go through the Stargate," he breathed.

"Boy's IQ gets higher and higher each time. Guess there wasn't any brain damage after all." Standing up, Neumann shrugged, waving a hand at Daniel over his shoulder. "That's good. Need to pick your brains, Doc." He frowned at Daniel's stare. "We want those addresses, Jackson. Every address you can recall where there are no snakes, no enemy. I want a list of every safe haven there is out there."

Daniel rolled back his shoulders. God, his back **hurt**. His gaze darted from one to the other.

"I want to get my people out of that death chamber," Neumann said quietly. "That's all. Every last one of them. I'm not leaving them behind. We're leaving. **Together. **Through a Stargate—"

"Neumann!" Tobias hissed, spinning around.

"Through a Stargate," Neumann ignored her. "And to some safer ground."

"How do you even expect to get access to a Stargate?" Daniel's eyes were wide. "And what do you want Jack for?" Daniel flinched as Tobias stomped her foot on the floor. He could feel the vibration under him. "Even if I give you any coordinates, you wouldn't be able to-" He froze. "No, you're wrong. Jack won't tell you anything or help you. You're not going to-"

"We'll see about that when he gets here," Neumann interrupted.

Dismayed, Daniel felt his stomach twist. "He won't help you."

"Oh…he will…he knows what's at stake." Neumann gave Daniel a very strange smile.

Daniel shook his head. "No, he won't."

"You better hope he does!" Tobias cut in harshly. Daniel shut up. "You better hope to God he does."

"Neumann crouched down again and looked steadily at Daniel. "Doctor Jackson…just one address. One address we can go through safely and I'll let you go the moment we're free on the other side. I swear." A thin smile shaped on Neumann's lips. "I read your file too, you know. All of you. Before we were ordered to obtain the Touchstone, I read up on every one of you. You guys were sort of legends."

Silent, Daniel tracked the rogue with his eyes as Neumann rose to his feet. "Read every report. I know you and the colonel don't see eye to eye on most missions. Hell, I'm surprised you guys are even on speaking terms judging the way both your MO's clash like oil and water, but whatever gets the job done." Neumann opened his palms towards Daniel. "Out of all of them, I know you can understand why we pulled such desperate moves. We need to fight the Goa'uld, Doctor Jackson." His smile became entreating. "Daniel. Surely, you understand?"

Daniel lowered his gaze. He took a deep breath. "No, I don't understand." He shook his head. "There were other ways to get what we need to fight the Goa'ulds. We can't go on this alone. We **need** to reach out to other races, sympathizers who can help us. We—" He stopped at the look burning on Neumann's face.

"Help sell us out don't you mean?" Neumann said bitingly. "Or have you forgotten the bounty set on SG1's head? Or any SG team leaders for that matter. Or about how our allies sold out SG-11 to the Goa'uld. I hear they tortured them to death getting their information to make their little Jaffa training facility." He rapped two fingers hard on Daniel's head. "Or did you forget all those who died, Jackson?"Daniel returned the angry gaze steadily. "I don't. None of us do."

Unimpressed, Neumann spun on his heels and stepped away.

"Five minutes, Neumann," Tobias said in an even voice. Something prickled on the back of Daniel's neck as he felt her gaze swept up and down on him. "Just give me five minutes,." She fingered the black device in her hand.

"No." The syllable was sharp. Neumann looked angrier at her now.

"I'll get you the goddamn space chart out of him," breathed Tobias. Daniel's eyes flew to Neumann in alarm.

"Tobias, I said **no**."

"We have to have it!" She twisted around and studied Neumann her words pushing. "Without it, we'll be sitting ducks for both the snakes and our own military! You know that!"

The two stared at each other silently. Then, Tobias shrugged. She pivoted around and slowly walked to the doorway. The female folded her arms together, leaning at the threshold, looking bored.

Neumann joined her by the doorway. He paused, glancing over his shoulder at Daniel. "I meant what I said, Doctor Jackson. I want those addresses. I mean to get those addresses. Once we get them, you have my word we'll let you go. That's all we ask. We don't even want to stay on this planet anymore. Just give us a chance. You'll never hear from us again."

Daniel lowered his head and stared at the cracked wooden floor planks. He heard Neumann sigh and left.

"Too bad..." Tobias whispered. Daniel raised his head. She remained where she was. Tobias smiled, head cocked back as she studied him. Daniel's skin prickled under her gaze. Something about the way her eyes swept up and down him reminded him of someone. Someone he didn't want to think about. "Going to have some lovely breakfast now."

"I would offer you some, but well..." Her smile faded, the eyes blazing. "I rather see you starve." She stepped back and pushed the door closed in front of her.

The door slammed with a huge bang, shutting out the dusty light and Daniel was left alone in the gloom. The archeologist stared at the shut door and realized with a sinking feeling in his stomach that Jack was going to be walking into a trap because of him.


	10. Knight to Pawn

_"What? Me?" Jack stared at the hologram floating above Hammond's desk. It would have been a comical sight, had not the proposal Thor gave him was a serious one._

_"We can not trust anyone else within the base at risk of a traitor, O'Neill."_

_General Hammond nodded. "Agreed. Colonel O'Neill and his team can—"_

_The shimmering gray head turned to the general. "There has been a miscommunication. We request O'Neill alone."_

_Jack walked left and right of the office, giving Hammond a look of "What now?" before he looked at the hologram again. "Thor...look, I'm flattered. Really, I am, but what do you want me to do, huh?"_

_"Find who has stolen the technologies of the Tollans and from other planets."_

_"Undercover?" Hammond suggested quietly. _

_Jack scowled. "Figured as much, but what about the rest of my team?" He paced the floor again, chewing his lip as he gave it some thought. " I like playing hero as much as the next guy, but I would like some backup on this, sir."_

_"They can not be trusted."_

_"What?" Jack skidded to a halt. He gaped at the Asgard image. "Them? Can't be trusted? You've got to be kidding me. How many times do we have to save the world to convince you people?" He turned to the general for support, throwing up his hands. "Sir—"_

_Hammond didn't look happy about it as well. Frowning, he directed his remark to Thor. "I would prefer Colonel O'Neill to have some form of protection on this mission."_

_"We will provide it. None aside from you two should have knowledge of this."_

_Jack scowled at Thor. "No."_

_Hammond pursed his lips. "Jack." he said warningly._

_"No. I don't like what he's implying. Look, I love you guys, you're great, we should do lunch sometimes, but what I'm hearing right now really sucks." Jack folded his arms across his chest._

_"If we can not gain assurances of the end of the thievery, we will withdraw our alliance, as would the others."_

_Jack exchanged an alarmed look with Hammond. _

_"If we can not be guaranteed the preservation of technology will remain in the appropriate owners, we will not continue this alliance. All communications will be cut off in order to secure our technologies be within our control."_

_"Now wait just a minute!"_

_"Do we have an agreement?"_

_Hammond looked over to Jack, brow furrowed. "Colonel..."_

_Dismayed, Jack stared at Thor. Alone. He was to go about this alone. Something he's done before, but now he was to do this alone and the prospect rose hair on the back of his neck._

_"Do we have an agreement, O'Neill?"_

_Cut off from everyone. He would have to do some pretty damning things to them to make it work._

_"Colonel?"_

_Jack gritted his teeth. Alliances versus a team he placed faith on totally. Something he'd never truly done before, not with such blind faith. Not a team. A family. They were asking him to destroy a family to keep some alliances that looked pretty on paper._

_But what's one man's treasures to a world in need?_

_"Fine," he grated out. "I'll do it." _

Jack stared at the phone, clenching and unclenching his fists. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. This wasn't how the dice was supposed to roll. He clutched the cordless phone, fighting the urge to throw it into the fireplace. They were supposed to be sitting here, play chess, and patch things up for all the words exchanged.

_"Jack!"_

_He wanted to keep walking, ignore the voice. It would be better this way. He knew it. He predicted Daniel would be the hardest to convince, but damn it. That voice._

_Reluctantly, Jack turned around. Daniel stood there in the middle of the hallway, staring at Jack. Something in Daniel's gaze made Jack's gut twist._

_Damn it, Daniel. Don't do this. It'll all make sense soon, I swear._

_"No regrets?" There was desperation in the voice, a slight break Jack hadn't heard since Daniel came to with Sha're across from him. The archeologist back then had asked if this was really real in front of him. He was asking for answers from Jack then, answers Jack really didn't know how to say._

_He was hearing it again. Right now._

_Aw hell. _

_Jack tightened his grip on the duffel bag. He wanted to say something, anything, wink at the guy so Daniel would have a clue and hold on to that for now. But there were so many eyes. So many faces Jack couldn't distinguish who were listening and who were __**listening**__. Everyone seemed to be listening, some appearing to have slowed down to hear better, too, in fact._

_His throat hurt as Jack forced his voice to be light as he replied to the white face "None whatsoever, Jackson." He felt the straps on his duffel bag cut into his palm. He wouldn't be surprised if later on he finds his hands were damp with blood._

Jack wished he never said yes.

No matter how careful, how cautious, how good of an actor Jack can be, he knew this might probably come back to haunt him. Even Maybourne with all his underground connections and all couldn't have created those units still loose out there without some kind of help- some uniform with more stars on their shoulders to assist the zealously ambitious NID colonel. Once again, Jack miscalculated and looked what it cost him.

_"We're dead anyway…" Glazed eyes looked despairingly at Jack as he tried to stem the flow of blood. "Just get out of here."_

_Anger exploded in his chest—anger at the Jaffa who shot Daniel, anger for the younger man not avoiding it fast enough, anger at what he was saying, and most of all, anger for screwing up and letting this happen to Daniel. "I am not leaving you here, Daniel!" Jack shouted, shaking the archeologist with his rage before he remembered. The younger man gave a wheeze, in too much pain to draw a breath to cry out. No. It was __**not**__ an option! Jack grabbed Daniel's vest, ready to haul him up. He'll carry Daniel over his shoulder all the way back from hell if he had to!_

_"Get out of here!" Daniel's desperate plea cut through Jack's chest. Stunned, Jack's fingers lost their grip. Blue eyes, god, they ere so blue, zeroed in on Jack's face. "You're just going to blow up with the other ship anyway. What difference does it make? Go." Despair. Utter despair. Jack felt himself screaming inside. Screaming! This wasn't supposed to happen like this! No! _

_"Just go…I'll stay and watch your back." Daniel pulled at Jack's sleeve feebly. His strength gone, Jack's fingers dropped from the vest. _

_Don't leave him here! Don't! Jack's chest was pounding with the order to stay where he was. He can carry him. He can!_

_No…he can't._

_Jack's stomach twisted and something very cold filled his insides. If he hadn't left Daniel here by himself…_

_Too late, a voice whispered. Too late._

_Jack found himself watching from afar, staring at the face of a stranger cupping Daniel's cheek, feeling the heated skin of pain scorching his palm. He was yelling at the stranger not to leave. Not after doing this to him. No! NO!_

_His hands felt so empty when he rose to his feet and walked away from his friend._

With a snarl, Jack lashed his right hand out. Frames of medals, a picture of himself accepting one award went flying across the mantel, crashing to the carpet with barely a sound. Useless! Jack stood over the mess, tempted to raise his foot and smash it down on his own picture.

_"No regrets?"_

_Ask me again when I get you back, Danny_, he thought bitterly,_ because damn it, I __**will**__ tell you._ Jack screwed his eyes shut, his chest rising and falling in angry heaves as he stormed into his bedroom. Slipping his hands under the bed, he pulled out a small flat box, a five-digit combination panel on its lock. He rolled the proper numbers and pried open the lid. The box revealed his own handgun and a few spare clips nestled in a pad of foam. Jack stared at it for the longest time, remembering how a similar handgun was once on top of a closet, in a shoebox. He had miscalculated then, too. He thought it was safe up there. So safe. No one would look in there, because Jack was the only one who knew what was up there. But a young mind, curious, ever exploring, found his gun and—

Jack slammed the box hard, letting the memory of a gun shot to vanish just as quickly with the loud noise. He sat there on the carpet, his chest tight, before he slowly opened the box again. He gazed down at the pistol.

_"Drew straws?"_

_He stopped by the partially opened office door at the sound of Carter's dubious voice. He shook his head, mentally scolded himself for listening in when he heard Daniel's tired voice._

_"What did you want me to say, Sam?"_

_"But Daniel, why didn't you just tell him you went over there on your own?"_

_Jack closed his eyes. He figured as much, but thought if Daniel wanted to play it that way, fine. Jack didn't mind a little ribbing for it. Least of what he deserved, he supposed._

_"Wouldn't have mattered." A chair creaked and Daniel sighed. "Doesn't change the fact of what he said, Sam."_

_"What did he say, Daniel?" Carter asked softly. "You never said. You just came back and told us he was retiring."_

_"That's what he said."_

_"But what was the reason?" Carter kept pressing, not hearing the stutter Jack heard, a lilt that begged for her to back off. Jack frowned, leaning closer._

_"He said some...things. It didn't matter. It was all an act, Sam."_

_"So why did you tell him we drew straws then, Daniel?"_

_A long pause._

_"Because it __**was**__ all an act, Sam."_

_"Ah hell, Daniel," Jack murmured, head rapping the hallway wall. He could hear Daniel standing up. _

_"Daniel? I don't understand."_

_"Didn't you think Jack made a pretty good actor?" Daniel said conversationally. "Very convincing."_

_"He was going undercover. He had to be convincing." Carter, ever the good soldier, accepted Jack's reasoning with only a second of hesitation when he first came back through the Stargate with the eight rogue soldiers. "The colonel said he needed to make us believe his leaving."_

_"He made me believe..." Daniel was barely audible. "A lot of things. Makes you wonder..."_

_"Wonder?" echoed the major._

_How much of it was an act? Jack finished what Daniel couldn't. He shook his head sadly. Come on, you can't tell me you think...He sighed. Oh course Daniel would still have some doubts. Like Daniel said—they were working on the friendship thing. It didn't come naturally. A lot of bruised egos and gradual block building on trust was needed and Jack just took a sledge hammer over it and wrecked the whole thing into a graveyard of shattered bones. And like a frightened, abused animal, Daniel took one look at the remains and went scrambling for the darkest, deepest, hole around to keep himself safe from more damage, licking his wounds in the lonely dark. Jack was tempted to walk in there and tell Daniel out right the friendship was not a sham, it was one of the most important things Jack valued and willing to preserve, even if it meant pissing off a few aliens. But he knew that wouldn't be enough. Jack wasn't a talking out problems sort of guy and Daniel listens with a wary heart, especially if he knew the attacks could come at any moment. Jack could see the brick wall the archeologist was building around him again, the automatic defense he always bring out to avoid the hurt from crippling him. It happened with Hathor, it happened with his addiction and it happened when Sha're died._

_But he never thought he would find a wall erected because of him. _

Jack slipped his hand around the gun. Pulling it out, he grabbed all the clips he had left, slipping them into his pockets, mentally deciding what goes where without being obvious when the phone rang.

The colonel shot up to his feet, practically standing over the phone, barking "O'Neill!" in it as soon as he punched the speak button before he could make out the higher vocal.

"Sir?" Taken back by the bark, Carter barely squeaked out her greeting.

"Carter?" Jack scowled. "What the hell are you doing calling—Do you know what time it is?"

"Uh...I had a question about something for Daniel. Tried calling him at home before I remembered Daniel was heading over there yesterday. I was only going to leave a message for him on your machine, sir."

Jack closed his eyes. It was like hearing the door close, the final nail. If he had any doubts before…

She sounded hopeful, having watched the two men play a cautious game of tag with each other the whole week. "Is he still there or did he left for his place already? I wanted to ask him about the samples SG-8 took back from P2T-743."

"Carter," he ground out, "We're all on stand down. You can talk shop when he gets back in a few days." _And I'll make sure he will._

The major sounded surprised. "Oh...uh...okay. Is he there?"

"No." Jack watched his clock. Neumann should be calling soon. He walked to the kitchen, one hand cradling the gun. Jack set the gun down on the counter as he said brusquely "Carter, I got to go."

"Okay, sir. I—"

Jack hung up the phone before she could finish, picking it up again when the phone rung no sooner than he did.

"I said no calls!" Neumann hissed.

Jack growled back into the mouthpiece. "They called me!"

"I told you what would happen if-"

"I didn't say anything!" Jack roared back, the phone shaking under his ear. He took a deep breath and calmly spoke into the phone again between clenched teeth. He glanced at the clock standing on the mantel. If he could get Neumann to stay on the line just a bit longer. Jack fumbled around the counter, grabbing for his cellphone still jumbled up with his keys and bag of breakfast where he left it. _Come on, Carter. You just called me before, you better be there now. _"Where's Daniel? Let me talk to him," he snapped, unable to keep his voice from rising again as he struggled to punch the numbers for the SGC. A busy signal grated his ears. _Damn it._

"He's sort of...busy right now."

Jack leaned over the phone, knuckles bleached white as he growled low into the receiver. "I want to talk to him **now**."

"You don't get to make the orders around here anymore, Colonel," Neumann gritted out.

"You let me talk to him right now or no deal."

"The only deal being made is the one when you'll make when you get here."

"How do I know you have him?" Jack challenged.

Neumann chuckled as if he'd expected the question. "Check your caller id."

Glancing down at the small white box by his phone, Jack froze at the row of digital numbers on his LED screen.

It was Daniel's cell phone.

"You son of a—"

"Off highway twenty four, west exit number seventeen." Neumann was unimpressed by Jack's anger. "Drive about two hours til you see an old gas station. It's closed, but the phone still works. Wait by the phone and I'll contact you again."

"Now wait just a minute. I want to know where Dan—"

"Don't even try calling for backup. We'll know. Trust me, we'll know if you did. Alone, O'Neill. I see anyone and you know the rest of that story."

Jack narrowed his eyes. "You're pissing off the wrong people, mister."

"I think you've got it wrong. **You** pissed off the wrong people." Neumann paused. When he spoke again, his voice was colder. "You know the road, Colonel. You've got two hours to get here starting from the moment I hang up."

"You listen to me, Neumann. You even breathe on him wrong and I swear to God I—"

The phone went dead. Jack stared at the phone gripped in his hand. He knew something was going to fall from this. He knew from the moment Makepeace hollered he didn't know how high this went, that it was far from over. But he'd expected retaliation in the form of a sniper, a car whizzing towards him, hearings, trumped up charges, anything than what he'd expected.

Instead, they took Daniel.

Like Jack said before, they pissed off the wrong person.

Jack grabbed his leather jacket, shoving arms hastily through the sleeves, slipping his gun in a waist holster. He gave his home a cursory glance, eyes drifting to the chess game waiting serenely on his coffee table. His eyes turned to dark coals and he flung open the door. The door swung shut behind him as he leaped into his car, barely looking left and right before backing up and tearing around the driveway onto the road.


	11. Chessclock

Staring at her phone, Sam Carter didn't hang up, her ears still ringing from the abrupt disconnection. She frowned, front teeth worrying her lip as she recalled the terse, literally snappish greeting the colonel gave. If it could be called a greeting that is.

_Something is wrong. Something is wrong_, her mind chanted. She shook her head as the phone began to wail for her to disconnect the call. She carefully hung up the phone and sat down again, staring at her computer.

The base was quiet, most teams off world doing very ordinary things. Nothing came in for testing, no one coming back for debriefing, and the lists of the items they'd recovered from that offplanet rogue base had lost all its appeal after her talk with Daniel. And with her team on stand down, a break for the colonel, a sneaky way for the general to give the team a chance to regain the balance they had skittered when the colonel left, Sam was realizing how quiet her lab was in the early morning hours.

While she could have toiled over one of her side projects, maybe the ionizer rotation engine, or the naquada decay gauge, Sam was instead glued to the phone in hopes that Daniel would call soon.

_"I think you should go." Sam tracked his pacing with her eyes. She glanced back at the disassembled communications globe their teams found during a raid at Nelles after the arrests. The thin wiring fascinated her and Sam hated to admit it, but Tobias did a rather brilliant job retro-fitting it to their own power sources. Too bad she was against the SGC. Sam was certain Tobias could have made an excellent addition to the base if she had just learned to control her temper during her rather colorful career. _

_Daniel sighed out loud, giving her a sideways look. "Because?"_

_"Because the colonel invited you," Sam pointed out, following Daniel's progress as he went from shelf to shelf. She waited as the scholar paused at one bookcase, as if he found a book, but she could see his shoulders slumping. Concerned, she finally voiced out loud what she'd wanted to say all week long. "Daniel...this can't keep up."_

_"What can't?" Daniel didn't look at her. He fingered a book on the third shelf. _

_"This." She waved towards him. "You act like he lied to us."_

_"Didn't he?" _

_"Well…" Tapping a pencil against her chin thoughtfully, Sam shrugged. "Technically, I guess he was. But that was because he was under orders." Staring at Daniel's back, Sam wondered what was going on in the archeologist's head. Surely Daniel knew that, right? "Daniel, the colonel had no choice."_

_"I know that." Daniel sighed out loud again, pushing up his glasses as he pulled out a volume, flipping the pages with little interest._

_Sam's brow furrowed. She mentally flipped through the past events. "Is this about when you went to his house for that talk?"_

_The hand stilled over one page. Daniel opened his mouth, then shut it into a grim line. He continued turning the pages. "No...it isn't." Fingers skimmed through pages even faster now. "Sam, I think this text is a bit outdated. It says here the original theory about the Paleolithic-"_

_"Daniel."_

_Daniel abruptly shut the book, shaking his head. Sam jumped at the sudden noise. "Okay. Okay. I'll go. It's no big deal. I just wondered out loud if I should go, that's all."_

_"Normally, you don't make it such a big deal," Sam noted. "It's not the first time you two got together for something. How many times have I had to call the colonel's to get you? You're always there. No big deal. This is just two friends playing a game of chess."_

_"Two friends?" Daniel gave her a funny look. It struck her as being sad, tired. "I guess so."_

_"I know so, Daniel." Sam studied the mixture of emotions flitting across Daniel's face. "Daniel…you can't just ignore this."_

_"I'm not," was the stiff reply._

_"Then why aren't you heading out that door right now for the colonel's place?" she pointed out. "Why come in here?"_

_"I wanted to see the—"_

_Sam stood up and walked over to her friend. She gave his tense shoulder a brief squeeze. "Come on…you were never really good at bluffing."_

_A tiny smile cracked through. "Funny…Jack said the same thing." He looked at her with a frown. "What? Am I too readable? Is that why he didn't say anything to me? Maybe he thought I would give him away?"_

_"Daniel!" Sam was stunned. "You know that wasn't it! The colonel didn't tell any of us." Her eyes narrowed. "What happened when you went to his place? Daniel…what did he say to you?"_

_"Nothing. Nothing…Jack just…He just knew what to say to get me to leave."_

_"Oh…I see." She didn't really. Sam let her hand drift down to his elbow. Gently, she tugged the book away. "Daniel, look, if this is really bothering you, then don't go."_

_Daniel turned to her questioningly._

_"But," Sam added, "I think…if the colonel's making the attempt…you should give him the benefit of the doubt" She gave the arm she was holding a brief shake. "Just go." She gave him a reassuring smile, which Daniel didn't return. He was staring at the bookshelves apprehensively._

_Daniel shrugged finally, letting out a resigned sigh. "Guess you're right." He edged towards the door, then stop._

_"Maybe I give you a call later?" she offered. "We should be getting the lab results back on those stone idols soon." And you can tell me all about it, her offer floated unvoiced in the air._

_"Sure." Daniel took his barn jacket off his hanger and slipped it on. Still frowning, Daniel gave a feeble "See you" before he left._

_And Sam was left staring at the empty doorway, her heart sinking. _

Sam blinked, Daniel's office gone, replaced by her lab. She stared at the phone, studying it. Maybe she should leave a message with Daniel's machine again. Maybe he didn't bring his cellphone. No…that was the colonel. Daniel tended to carry his a lot more often now. The last time he forgot it, there had been an emergency over at the SGC, and Daniel nowhere to be found. After a few hours tracking him down, the colonel had him **paged** at the library, which proved to be embarrassing she heard. The colonel burned Daniel's ear, ranting about how they couldn't find him and "One more time and you're getting one of those perimeter ankle bracelets!" until Daniel had empathetically promised he would carry it. Now, over a year later, Daniel always had the phone handy, although there were times she had to discreetly pass him his cell without the colonel noticing when she finds it once more left in her lab, or the locker room, or in the briefing room…

"Major?"

She turned her head and saw General Hammond standing by the doorway, looking very grim. All other thoughts fled as she realized the general had never looked more unprepared, his tie not quite knotted up, as if he had rushed back to base from his home. The senior officer made no move to straighten his appearance, standing there at the threshold.

"I just got a call from our people at the auxiliary base."

"Sir?"

Hammond stood there, his eyes like flint, reading how displeased he was about the news he'd received. "I've just sent word to Teal'c. He should be on his way over now."

The little voice in her mind was hollering now that this wasn't good. Teal'c? If they called Teal'c back from standdown—She didn't say anything, but her throat tightened. Sam got up from her chair.

Hammond's expression was grave. "We have a problem."


	12. Blindfold Chess

"Wakey, wakey, civie." A hand tapped him on the cheek.

Daniel groaned, the burning sensation on his collar bone where the stun gun poked him before had finally gone down to a dull throb. The tiny burns thrummed with a heat he knew only meant trouble, the skin pulled taut and ached when he tried to move. So he didn't. As he laid there on the floor, listening to them eat, Daniel had somewhere down the line fell into an uneasy sleep.

He grunted when he felt the woman run her hands over his chest, hitting a sore spot here and there where they had kicked him before. He fell silent, hearing Tobias checking his pulse, making a small satisfied sound before she rose back to her feet and left the room once more. The door was left partially open, leaving a sliver of light to cast on his eyes painfully.

Daniel scowled through the door to the adjacent room where Tobias was pacing. He could smell burnt tobacco. The woman was smoking. Nervous? Daniel flinched as he heard her stomp on the embers as she tossed the stub down, visible through the narrow space between the door and the frame. She paced back and forth, stuck her angry face through the door to check on him. With a snort, seeing he was apparently asleep, she stomped her way to the front door.

Daniel took advantage of her distraction to see if there was anything he could use to cut his bonds. The thick cords were heavy on his wrists and ankles, grating against his skin. He needed something sharp to cut through them if he was going to try and make a break for it. Neumann was going to go soon to get Jack. Daniel needed to get out of here **now**.

With a start, he realized the room was brighter now, light from the outside snuck between boarded windows, revealing the hour. The room he was in from as much as he could tell, was an old bedroom, the mattress half propped against the furthest wall the only thing that clued him in on its type of room. Windows boarded up with wooden planks making stark Xs over glass, everything was a mess of shadows and general shapes, shrouded by once white sheets draped over them. Daniel could see the cobwebs peeking out of exposed furniture legs. Despite its dismal condition, the room was barren of small objects and tools. Not even a vase he could break to use its shards. He looked at the windows framed with light again. They were loosely boarded up, the nails protruding out rusty heads from the grain. If he could get untied, Daniel was sure he could easily pull one or two of them off to freedom.

Daniel quietly tested his bound wrists again, feeling the strands carefully with his numbed fingers. The knots weren't too tight. Daniel gave them a tug and sure enough, he felt something give. He stilled when he could hear Tobias outside the shut door now, arguing with Neumann.

"He's not picking up his phone anymore."

"I know, Tobias. I told you. Hell, the guard told us remember? We're on our own!"

"What about the backup number he gave us?" A desperate tone crept over Tobias' voice. "The one Mayb—"

"No good. No good!" Neumann was snarling now. "I told you! No one's picking up! They're gone, Tobias! That's it!"

Someone broke something. Daniel flinched. He could hear glass shattering. "What about the others? What if they took them already?"

"Just worry about the transport..." Neumann snapped at her. They sounded like two barking dogs Daniel once heard outside his apartment. They kept going on and on until the entire building was awake. "Bring...back the others...as many as we can…we won't leave them behind...Don't worry."

_Others? _They had said that before. Daniel stopped what he was doing, craning his neck towards the light under the door, listening as shadows paced back and forth, interrupting his own source of light.

"...easy to get to our Stargate?" Tobias barked back. "They've probably found the warehouse and commandeered it already."

"That's why we need O'Neill. He's gonna get us in," Neumann snapped out.

"You're dreaming!" Tobias grated back. "You think the colonel would risk his ass to get this civie? Hell, he turned his back on all of them and went on his undercover heroism solo, remember? He's not going to come back here!" Chains rattled loudly. Sounded like Tobias was trying to pry them off. "Freaking chains! Can't do anything with these on!"

"Tobias, calm down-"

"Don't tell me what to do!" Metal jangled as one ankle brace was pried off. "You're not our CO anymore!"

"I'm your CO while our team is still—"

"There is no team anymore!" Tobias snarled back. "And O'Neill is not going to show. I say we rip the coordinates out of Jackson and chance rushing through security for the second gate!"

"I've read his file, Tobias. O'Neill won't leave Jackson behind. He doesn't leave his people. And they're friends—"

Tobias barked out a laugh that rippled goosebumps down Daniel's back. "You heard the tapes, Neumann. If they were such good…**friends**," she drawled out the last word. "He would have given Jackson a hint or something. No, no, no. Our colonel was the good little soldier boy, lapping dutifully behind a bunch of aliens rather than stand by his fellow team!" She sighed, chains rattling to the floor with a thud. "Damn, finally!"

"He'll come." Neumann sounded confident. "And we'll get those addresses, lieutenant."

"We should have just grabbed Carter," Tobias muttered. "Or the alien. Either one of them would have gotten us a good price. We could have used them to bargain with. Screw the Stargate."

"You think we would have been able to get either of them with what we had?" Footsteps paced back and forth, the floor creaking. "Carter's doing inventory of our stuff, damn Jaffa is off playing Mr. Cleaver. Jackson was our best bet to get O'Neill over here. We need them both, Tobias. Jackson was the best lure we could get at our current resources."

_Daniel waited for Jack to say something. When he didn't, Daniel spoke up. "So, just to uh...clarify...This whole past week, beginning with the appeal we made to the Tollana, which I did a lot of work on it by the way. I take it that was all was a scam?"_

_Jack winced._

Daniel didn't want to hear anymore, but having no choice as he listened to the pair argue back and forth. The archeologist heard Neumann's footsteps thundering through the floor, the click of a weapon made Daniel tensed. Neumann exchanged a few more words, short, clipped, before leaving, instructing Tobias to...what was it he said? "Sit on the geek."

He felt like a pawn. Like the smallest piece on the chess game he and Jack never finished.

Here he was, tied up like a piece of meat, waiting to be bait for Neumann and Tobias to lure Jack into God knows what. Daniel felt his face burn with a mixture of shame and anger. Had they been following him all the way from the moment he left the base? Daniel hadn't noticed a thing. Great…if he gets out of here, Daniel was sure he was never, ever going to hear the end of this. He could see General Hammond and Jack sharing a disappointed shake of their heads, the general saying "You were right, Jack."

"_Not much of a foundation there..."_

Too blind to see they weren't really friends.

Too blind to see the car following him home.

_Stop it. Not now. _Daniel scrunched up his face and tried to pull apart his ropes. Too tight. And they **hurt**. He twisted on the floor, tugging at his binds by moving his wrists side to side. Nothing.

Something pinched at his back and Daniel froze. It felt like…He pawed the floor, scooting backwards, wincing as splinters found their way to his finger pads, but they were forgotten when he realized the pinch was from an exposed nail sticking out of rotting wood. Yes! Daniel rolled, wiggling with little movement as possible so they wouldn't notice or hear until he felt his fingers being pricked by the nail. He immediately wasted no time, grinding one knot against the tip frantically.

Daniel hissed as the ropes, from the working on the binds, scraped harshly against already reddened skin. He could feel the hot warmth of blood trickling past the coils, down his wrists and into his shirt sleeves. But he didn't stop. He could feel the knot giving way.

A coil slipped out of one loop and Daniel wanted to shout out, elated. But instead, he sawed away at the next knot over the broken nail.

Daniel didn't want to just lie here in wait for rescue. He didn't want Jack to walk in blindly to the danger simply because he thought he should help Daniel. Daniel didn't want to be the pawn in their games.

It spurred Daniel to move more roughly, pulling, tugging at one cord of rope, not caring as he felt more blood flowing down his wrists to dampen his sleeves into a second skin. His neck ached from keeping his head up to look over his shoulder to see where to pull at the binds, his back hurt from the hard floor as he rocked left and right trying to gain some leverage as he worked on his ropes. And his chest hurt from both the workout and the words ringing in his mind.

_"Apparently not much of a foundation there, huh?"_

Daniel squeezed his eyes shut. He should have realized what was going on. He could have avoided this, right? Why did they grab him? Judging from their arguing, it was because they figured he was the easiest. Easy to grab. Easy to fool. And probably why Jack didn't feel like he could entrust him with what he was doing. Of course, why would Jack feel obliged to try and say something right? Not like he owed Daniel anything. Right?

_"Apparently not much…"_

The words had to have come from somewhere. They hit their target too accurately not to be meant even a little.

The archeologist twisted, shoving his thoughts away, gasping softly under his breath as he felt something rip in his palm. Red hot needles stabbed into his back, along his right shoulder blade and he clenched his eyes tight, breathing out through his teeth. He can't just lie here. He can't lie around, waiting for rescue.

_"You knew?" Daniel asked hesitantly as he watched the flames in the hearth dance around the logs in Jack's fireplace. "You knew I was trapped with Nem? That I wasn't dead?"_

_The older man would only shrug. "Sort of." He hid behind his own beer, coughing awkwardly. Teal'c, seated next to him, commented with a silent arched eyebrow._

_Sam, sitting across from him, nodded as she sipped her own beverage. "The colonel kept saying that something wasn't right."_

_"Not right?" Daniel cocked his head towards Jack. To his surprise, Jack flushed._

_"Well you didn't seem like you were..." Jack trailed off, mumbling._

_Daniel blinked. "Huh?"_

_"Ah, you know...that you weren't..." Again, back to a mumble. For some reason, Jack looked extremely uncomfortable, embarrassed even, which seem to send Sam into soft giggles and Teal'c into a secretive smile._

_"O'Neill did not believe you were dead," Teal'c announced, unbothered by the smothering glare Jack was giving him. "He was very upset at your demise and demolished General Hammond's vehicle."_

_Daniel choked in his drink, sputtering. "He...h-he what? Me? Didn't believe—his car? I—" He stared at Jack. "Really?"_

_Pinned by his amazed stare, Jack fidgeted. He sighed, rolling his eyes when he saw Daniel's disbelief. "Aw...I was a little upset, okay?" He lowered his voice, grumbling. "And I only broke a window for crying out loud. His insurance would have covered it..."_

_"You were thinking of retiring," Sam reminded him. Daniel started in his seat._

_"What? You? Retire?" Flabbergasted, Daniel's fingers lost its hold on his drink. But Teal'c caught it with ease and set it on the coffee table._

_Jack shifted in his seat like a kid in the principal's office. "Ah...I was a bit pissed off. I—" He took a long drink of his beer. "I usually don't leave friends behind."_

_Daniel stared as Jack rose from his seat, mumbling something about the bathroom. He felt something warm swell inside him and hid the smile threatening to break out behind his mug._

Pausing, Daniel lowered his hands for a second.

_"I usually don't leave friends behind."_

"Anytime right now would be good then, Jack," Daniel muttered. He made a face. How many times did he expect Jack to come barreling through that door.

_Too many_. Odd…it sounded like Jack.

_Daniel stared at the face, which suddenly became of a stranger's. "If you really believe that, I guess uh..." He felt something inside him break, the sudden awareness of loss tight in his chest. Daniel lowered his eyes for a second and the chessboard caught him. The pieces were all rearranged from the last game they had always been intending to finish. Jack had moved all the pieces around. Daniel swallowed. He barely found the air to finish his words and they came out as a whisper. "I guess I never really knew you at all."_

_The older man looked like he was going to roll his eyes, but instead, just smiled crookedly. "Come on. You're a bright guy," drawled Jack. "You had to have sense something..." Brown eyes scanned Daniel carefully. There was no reaction when he saw what Daniel knew had to be disappointment in his own eyes. Jack shrugged one shoulder again. "Then no, I guess you couldn't relate to me any more than I could to you." There was no apology in his tone as he stared right at Daniel._

_Daniel looked away from the steady gaze briefly before turning back at him, silently asking Jack if he was certain of everything he just said to him. "So this whole...uh...this whole friendship thing we've been working on the last few years..."_

_"Apparently not much of a foundation there, huh?" There was no regret, no hesitation as Jack sat there, meeting Daniel's silent challenge. Drinking his beer, watching Daniel go, Jack didn't even call him back._

Daniel felt a hot swell of anger building in his chest and he used it to tear viciously at his binds again, barely feeling the pain in his wrists.

The door swung open without warning. Daniel stilled, hoping the shadows hid his attempts as he pretended to still be out. Maybe their assumption as the "geek" would lower their estimations of him, maybe give him the advantage he so desperately needs.

A swift kick to his shoulder made him yelp.

No such luck.

A yank and his hands went up above his head. He heard a sharp intake of breath before a box to his head made the room double.

"Still with us, civie?"

Daniel bit his lower lip as he felt hands tug at his binds. Tobias muttered to herself as she checked the ropes around his wrists and ankles with one hand, the other waving the stun gun close to his face. He curled his fingers tightly around the coils, hoping it would be enough to hold them taut.

Satisfied, Tobias pulled away and studied Daniel with narrowed eyes. Daniel kept his gaze downward, but he could feel her stare burning his back like a branding iron.

"We want those addresses, Jackson."

Daniel bit the inside of his cheek and kept quiet. He winced as he felt the stun gun tapping him on the head. Morbidly, he wondered if she struck him there, would the charge kill him instantly. Daniel kept his gaze fixed on the crack of light under the door.

"Just one…or two. Two?" Tobias tilted her head to the side and studied Daniel with what Daniel would have gauged as boredom if the gaze hadn't made his skin crawl. "You heard Neumann. We were only doing our job. Like you. Surely you don't want to see us burn in hell for that now, do you?"

He lowered his head and stared at the floor. Then he realized it might draw her attention to the nail he was using and immediately snapped his head back up. He found himself nose to nose with Tobias.

Hot breath caressed his right ear. "You know…only Neumann wanted to keep you alive."

A chill rippled down Daniel's back. He refused to blink, matching the intensity of the glare until Tobias grunted, amused he didn't flinch and stepped back.

"I think you were a waste of resources, eating up funds on the SGC. All of you." She waved at him, then tapped a hand towards herself. "We trained for battle, for science, we sweat and crawled through every hole for our country. And you guys come along and sprout out your university words and fancy degrees and suddenly we're crawling through blood and dirt protecting **your asses**." Her eyes blazed, mouth twisted in anger. "I don't know how the colonel or the rest of the base can put up with your philosophical shit." She blinked and the snarl melted to a lazy smile. Tobias stalked around him, the stun gun rhythmically bouncing off her thigh.

"We might have been teammates," she said very slowly. "You and I."

Daniel looked up. Tobias was leaning on the door now, arms folded in front of her, the plastic casing of the weapon lazily tapping against her forearm. She smiled, the corners of her mouth barely lifted. Daniel supposed it might have made her pretty, if it weren't for the gleam in her eyes that made him thought of another smile.

_"Beloved."_

The archeologist stiffened as Tobias walked slowly towards him, circling his crouched form. He sat up higher, forcing his shoulders to stay straight. Daniel's eyes tracked her, glued to the female, the muscles on his back tensing, waiting for the next blow.

"I was going to be assigned to the Stargate project. I had been waiting for that slot since I first got wind of it. I heard the rumors around the Pentagon. I knew something big was out there. Radio signals, my ass. I tried and worked like a dog to prove I can be an asset. It should have been **me** going there. Me." Tobias thumped her fist against her chest. "Instead of Carter." Tobias tilted her head. She went a circuit around him and stared at his back for a long moment. Daniel fidgeted. What was she doing?

"Or should I say…Samantha? No, make that…**Sam**."

Daniel pivoted around and glared at her. The woman laughed. It didn't sound very nice.

"Oh, I read all about her. Just like me." Tobias leaned forward and her smile widened just a tad. The black device she held went up. "Smart. Top of her game. Up the male testosterone ladder without needing to screw around with any of her COs to get there. All brains." She paused and arched a blonde eyebrow as if she just made a new discovery. "Just…like…me." Daniel tensed as he felt the hard angles of the weapon, warm from her touch, stroke up and down his jaw. He let his hands drop down behind him, fingers stinging as he groped around for the broken nail once more. There. Covering his actions by flinching each time Tobias came near, which amused the woman to no end, Daniel quietly sawed away at his ropes. The archeologist made a point to look away as he felt her eyes drift up towards his face, then downward to his lap. "Bet you were really good friends with her."

Daniel said nothing, even as he felt her hand followed her gaze to his legs. He just kept on scraping away at the jagged tip. He jumped though when he felt her hand squeeze his thigh, the stun gun poking at the same spot in warning. "Must have been nice to have a fellow scientist around to talk to." She sounded almost wistful, but Daniel couldn't find an ounce of sympathy for her, the device she now rubbed against his chest an odd and perverse caress. "She could have made colonel by now. I know I would have." Tobias leaned back and studied him.

"Who knows? We also might have been friends." Her hand gripped his thigh once more and slid higher. "**Really** good friends."

_Doubt it_, he thought as he kept his eyes forward, focusing on the stained planks of wood behind her, snapping his wrists up and down as he guided the rope towards the sharp edges. His hands were tingling with discomfort, suspiciously warm and slick, but he didn't stop. He could feel her breath on his throat, the stun gun now jutting against his belly, and it took all his resolve to not push her away, less be discovered what he was doing.

"I should have been part of SG-1," she whispered. "That bitch should have been staying back in the Pentagon with the suits." Her eyes narrowed, the smile gone. "Only I didn't have a daddy who was a five star general." The stun gun she held shook. Daniel could felt the pincers digging into his ribs. He wasn't able to stop the wince from breaking through now, imagining the white line of charge dancing between the prongs.

"Instead of doing what I trained all my life to do, I'm sitting here on some dump of a cabin, waiting to see if some guy in shades is gonna show up pump me full of lead."

Daniel's eyes widened. He looked at her. The former soldier grunted, rocking back on her heels.

"I got nothing to lose now. None of us do. Not any more." She said sadly, the weapon resting against her knee. "We could have stayed back in our cells. I was willing to wait til we had our hearing. We knew they would have pulled us out somehow and we would get back to our mission. Instead, we were thrown in jail and told we were going to be moved somewhere to be…erased. If we didn't already have a guy planted in that base…" Tobias' gaze darkened, her pupils almost black. "Didn't matter we were working for God and country. Screw up and they deny all existence of you. Get rid of the evidence. Don't let anything come back knocking on their doors."

Finally, Daniel had to speak. "We wouldn't have—"

The prongs sizzled off the tip of his nose and he fell silent.

"**You** wouldn't have. But **they** would have. Without a blink." The woman waved the stun gun before him, her other hand bunched to a fist. "If that guard hadn't warned us and gave us the chance to run for it…" Tobias narrowed her eyes at him. "I should have been on SG-1, not on some death row!"

Daniel stared steadily back at her. "I'm sorry."

_Slap. _His head snapped back so fast, his ears rung.

"Sorry?" she snarled. "**Sorry**?" Suddenly, her face was inches from his, the stun gun pressed so hard against Daniel's ribs, he thought it was digging its way into his chest. "Sorry doesn't cut it, civie! Neither does playing nice with a bunch of snotty, know-it-all, aliens!" She jutted her chin out at him. "Had I been there, I would have told them that. Prove to them that we didn't need some alien holding our hand like some kind of child! We would have done things differently on your team had I been on it."

"Thank God you're not," Daniel muttered.

Tobias growled and slammed her hands on his shoulders, sending Daniel crashing to the floor. Dust flew up, stinging his eyes, the nail now literally scraping his side, so he noticed too late when Tobias lunging at him with a feral gleam in her eyes. He grunted as she landed on top of him, literally sitting on his chest.

"So you think you're all better than us? Huh?" Tobias hissed out, her hand whipping back. Daniel tried to turn his head with the blow, but the force slammed his cheek hard on the wood. The room darkened for a second. "Having your damn meetings and treaties while we worked on getting results. Results!" Another slap and Daniel found himself staring at the open doorway, the light from the other room streaming out at his face, Tobias' shadow an angry image flickering on the floor. "Do you even know what we did for this country? For this planet?" Another slap sent his head spinning back to the left. "And this is how you repay us?" And another. "Now you want to hang us as traitors?"

Daniel jerked as the stun gun snapped and burned through his shirt to his torso. "No!" he garbled out before that word became a cry. He tried to push her away with his shoulder, but everything turned to water. He couldn't move, couldn't get his body to stop shaking from the aftershocks.

"We're not the traitors here. You are!"

Tobias pressed down on his chest with both knees and she curled her fingers around the neck of his sweater, pulling the collar tight under his Adam's apple.

"I want those coordinates, Jackson."

Daniel coughed. He struggled feebly, his hands were still tied! He gulped, trying to get air, but the pressure over his chest squeezed him as tight as the collar she was pulling at.

"I have no qualms killing you," Tobias hissed. "We can easily…persuade the colonel to give us what we need before he takes us to our Stargate."

_Our Stargate?_

Daniel twisted violently, trying to throw her off, but she merely dug her knee deeper. Spots swam before him.

"Just one address, civie." Abruptly, Tobias' voice dropped to a soft hush. "One set of seven symbols and this will be all over." She tightened her fists and the collar grew taunt like wire. Daniel squeezed his eyes shut. God, he can't breathe! He could hear her whispering, coaxing, trying to lull him like a mirage of water to a man dying of thirst.

"No…" he wheezed.

"Son of a—" The sweater neckline loosened. Daniel coughed, over and over, trying to get as much air in as he could, his head dropping back down to the floor. Tobias cursed out loud, her hands wrapping around the stun gun she had on her lap.

Daniel tensed, waiting for the next blow. Gasping, chest heaving, he waited, but all he heard was Tobias' heavy breathing, her weight pinning him on the ground, the rusty nail digging into the fleshy part of his palm as he tried to reach it for his ropes. But she was literally on top of him and he couldn't do anything more than bite back the burning pinch of the nail cutting into his hand under her weight. He laid there, staring at the top of the ceiling, waiting for the next blow. He swallowed. Daniel tasted blood.

"Heard about you and that Goa'uld queen—what was her name?" Tobias rasped suddenly. "Oh yeah, **Hathor**."

Daniel tried shuffling away but the stun gun sparked an inch away from his eye. He understood the warning and stilled.

"Read the reports on that. Made for very interesting reading. You were really getting it on with the aliens, huh, baby? Is that it? That's why all the treaties? That's why Hammond rolled over for you every time? Maybe you and **Sam** were more than teammates? Bet you got your way on that base a lot." Tobias' voice lowered to a soft coo. She spread her hand wide on his chest. Her weapon pressed against the newest burn and Daniel squeezed his eyes shut. "Don't blame them though. You're not too bad for a civie."

Daniel stared at the ceiling, mentally counting the rafters above him as Tobias boldly swept her hand across his chest. _Go away, go away_, he thought to himself, willing her to get bored and just leave. He pulled apart his hands, straining hard, wincing as the rope stayed tight around his wrists. _Come on, come on._

A brief shadow eclipsed the scant light and Daniel felt a flash of panic when he saw Tobias smile, the weapon she held possessively was now drifting back down to his torso, giving him a poke that warned him to not fight her. Daniel desperately struggled, his wrists scraping along the floor, catching the broken nail. But he couldn't get the ropes undone.

_"Beloved."_

For a moment, he saw eyes flashed, glowed even, and he reacted before he could reason with himself.

Daniel jerked, literally throwing Tobias off of him. The woman was about Sam's height and Daniel knew while he may be a bit bigger than her, Tobias had the advantage with him tied, her stun gun already cutting through the space between them. But if there was one thing he'd learned all these years was to react first, as fast, as quick and as hard as possible.

Although bound, he could still move his legs. Daniel kicked hard, slamming theminto Tobias' middle. He twisted, rolled away as he heard the woman stumble back with a hard "Oof!" But she recoiled back fast enough, a quick snarl, a mechanical snap of the tiny pincers and Daniel knew he had only one shot at this.

Daniel sat up, struggling to get up to at least on his knees. With a heave, he threw himself at her, crashing into her legs, pushing them both into the cloth-covered table.

Wood splintered to pieces as both their bodies smash through its old frame. Daniel was fuzzily aware of someone pinned underneath him. He heard the hollering, inches from his ears and knew. He rolled until he was completely covering Tobias, flinching as the female soldier cursed and twisted under him. He had heard something clatter away before, a glimpse of black tumbling past. Daniel didn't track it. It was enough to know that Tobias was unarmed now.

"Son of a—" Tobias was below him, her eyes furious, hard and bright. "Get off me!" She clasped both hands into a double fist and swung. Daniel barely snapped his head back, catching a glancing blow to his cheek. Daniel knew he had to get away, but not with her clawing after him. So he took a deep breath, snapped forward—

And slammed his head on her forehead.

Crack!

Daniel **thought** he heard a crack. Then again, if he did, it would have been his skull and that would have been bad he supposed. Nevertheless, on impact, Daniel thought he heard a loud roar, saw the dim room explode into a rain of light, and felt his head pound with a hundred drums. The room tilted, then slanted to the other way. Daniel shook his head and groaned. Everything was moving like crazy.

But Tobias wasn't.

Winded, Daniel stared down at the woman, blinking past pain-filled eyes. To his amazement, Tobias laid there, head lolled to the side, senseless.

Daniel rolled off her and landed with a thump on the floor inches away.

God, his head hurt. Daniel's head rocked left and right against the floor, trying to ease the agony away. He was never going to do **that** again.

Daniel gave his head another shake before he slowly struggled to sit up. He looked over to Tobias sprawled out amidst shattered wood and grimaced. Wasn't exactly what he had planned, but whatever works.

Shuffling over to the spot where he remembered feeling the broken nail, Daniel began sawing away again in earnest, keeping an eye on Tobias as he scraped the ropes along the nail once more.

"Come on, come on," he muttered. Daniel spared a quick glance around his surroundings. Neumann had left before. Didn't feel like it was too long ago. The planks on the window revealed a bit of light so it must be day. Daniel yanked urgently at the nail. The ropes reluctantly parted, frayed ends splitting until its halves spilled to the floor.

His fingers tingled as Daniel shook them, his eyes still glued to the unconscious Tobias as he worked on his ankles. He gritted his teeth. Bending over reminded him of other aches, burns that were stretching taunt across his back. He kept moving though, his mind adding the sounds of Neumann's angry voice, pounding footsteps hurried his hands.

Daniel wasted no time stumbling up to his feet. He looked around the ground but couldn't find the stun gun or his cellphone. No time. He ran for the door, numb fingers fumbling for the doorknob. No sooner did the door swung open and the sun touched his face, Daniel practically fell out of the cabin to freedom.


	13. Cramped

The grating high-pitched tones beeped in Sam's ear. "The number you have reached is either out of service or not within calling range. If you need to make a—"

"Still no answer," she said glumly to Teal'c. "And now the colonel's cellphone is giving me the same message." Sam murmured her thanks when the Jaffa silently pushed a newly refilled cup of coffee across the table to her. "Hopefully the tech will be able to pull a log on those phones. Maybe we can pinpoint a location."

"I do not understand the reason for us remaining here," rumbled Teal'c. His eyebrows were low with disapproval. "Any delay in finding O'Neill and Daniel Jackson may prove to have dire consequences."

"Tell me about it," Sam muttered as she lifted the mug to her lips. "But I'm certain the connection between their disappearance and what happened at the auxiliary will help us find them." Her mug went down in a loud thud. Frustrated, she rested her forehead in her hands and took a deep breath. "So far though, the report on the break-in wasn't much. The base is calling all their personnel back, but it's going to take a while before we know anything more. Missing car, three men MIA, possibly AWOL, and there wasn't much in description by this…" She squinted at the file she had in front of her. "Sergeant Kent?"

"Major Carter?"

She looked up. To her surprise, Major Davis was standing by her doorway, still dressed in his overcoat. "Major Davis?" Strange. Didn't the colonel say he was… Her brow knitted together.

"Took the first flight out of DC when we were notified about the prisoners' escape," Davis explained. He looked over to the Jaffa. Teal'c had been a silent pillar the whole time Sam been pacing between device after dismantled device. "Teal'c." Davis got a bow of the alien's head in return. The Pentagon liaison brushed invisible lint off his wool sleeve. "Got in around thirty minutes ago." He entered the room another step and nodded towards the file Sam held. "Anything of help?"

Shaking her head, Sam replied in a dejected voice "None of the guards really saw anything. We have three possible suspects- a Sergeant Ford, airman Foster, and a Major Haun. They were last seen leaving the base. They hadn't replied to their callbacks or pages."

"They may have been the ones who had assisted in Neumann and Tobias' escape," Teal'c added. A low growl crept out of his voice, telling Sam just how he thought of the idea.

Sam shook her head. "From Kent's report, there was a guard inside the cells. Neck broken. Kent witnessed the three intruders away from the cell, killing some of the prisoners." She chewed on her thumbnail. "Why let go those two and kill the others? Doesn't fit their MO." She slipped a hand behind her neck and stretched. The strain had gone from her shoulders and wrapped around snugly on her head. Tiny lines carved between her eyes as she winced. "I would say they either got help or escaped on their own and those three maybe came after them." She glanced over to the liaison to see if he'd concur.

Davis made a non-committal sound. He took the folder from the desk, scanning it quickly. Sam frowned again. Didn't she just tell him what was on the report? She shook her head, chiding to herself. Of course the major would want to read it himself. She was letting her frustration undermine her thinking. Sam took a long sip of the coffee, giving herself a chance to recollect her thoughts.

"Saw your people taking the remaining prisoners to the cells below," Davis muttered. "Thinking of questioning them next?" he asked. "Is the general down there already?"

"They are setting up a room to interrogate the prisoners now," Teal'c informed the liaison.

"How about Makepeace?"

The name triggered a flicker of regret as it did for many others when news of the arrest spread around the base. "General Hammond requested we question the colonel first before the others." Taking back the folder from Davis, Sam shrugged. "We can't find anything here. Thought we would attend the session and see if he can provide us with anything.

Sam quietly wiped her hands with a rag. Something about her going in there a bit of a mess bothered her. Even though Makepeace was the mole. The colonel had literally gone hell and back for them as well.

"Major Carter?"

"Coming," she murmured, already following after him. "Coming."


	14. En Prise

Jack didn't even bother asking who it was when his cellphone rang.

"Where is he?" Jack said in a tight voice. He couldn't keep his temper checked. After driving for hours towards a deserted gas station, only to be left waiting for over an hour, Jack didn't like to be kept waiting. Makes him think. Makes him think a lot.

"Where do you think?" Neumann replied, his voice barely audible behind the static. Jack scowled at the mountains behind him, sloping up from behind the gas station and the tiny turn off dirt roads. Already, the sun was lightening the landscape on a new day, clouds striped blood red floating behind the range. God, it's already day. Those bastards had Daniel overnight.

"You came alone?" rasped Neumann.

"No, I came with the entire Brady Bunch gang," Jack snapped. He looked around the gas station. A gnawing suspicion tugged at his awareness. "Let me talk to him!"

"Who?" A low laugh vibrated back through the phone. Jack tightened his hold on the device before he gave into his temptation to throw it down and run it over with his jeep.

"Neumann, I said I want to—"

"Colonel O'Neill, you'll talk to him when you see him," the rogue interrupted with a growl.

Jack bit back the sigh of relief. Okay, that meant Daniel was alive, right? Jack scanned the gas station, the broken windows and bleak looking neglected gas pumps. "What do you want, Neumann?"

"We want a ticket off this planet."

The colonel snorted. "Since when did I become an intergalactic travel agent?" Jack clamped the phone between his ear and his left shoulder as he slowly pulled out his gun. Neumann had to be close by. The reception of the call was too clear to be placed anywhere around the mountains. Jack eyed the dirt and saw the impression of tire tracks aside from his looping around behind the gas station, disappearing into the edge of the forest that lined the mountains. "Neumann, you know I can't do that." Jack crept slowly towards the gas station. Gun pointed mid-level, Jack steadied his phone with his left hand, his right hand still and straight with his gun. The shadows he could see through the jagged edges of the broken window weren't moving. "I don't know what kind of access you think I have, but I wouldn't be able to get you guys through our Stargate. Even if I wanted to, General Hammond won't let you pass."

Jack spun into the gas station with a kick of the door. Dust flew and he coughed, but Jack kept his gun trained on…

Nothing. Rats squealed at the invasion, tiny paws scampering away the moment Jack's shadow filled the suddenly lit room.

Another shadow joined Jack's.

"Found what you're looking for?" a cold voice asked. Jack twisted around and found himself staring at Neumann and an old rifle the wiry soldier held steady in his hand.

"Hello, **Neumann**," Jack greeted in an even voice. At the wave of the rifle, Jack raised his hands, gun in one fist, cellphone in the other. He narrowed his eyes as he took in the gray jumpsuit, the barn jacket worn over it.

Daniel's jacket.

"Where is he?" Speaking through clenched teeth, Jack glared at the soldier.

"I ask the questions here, colonel." Neumann waved his weapon towards Jack again. "You know what this means, sir. Don't need a linguist to translate this for you, huh?"

Jack glowered at Neumann, silently debating.

"Now really, Colonel O'Neill. You think pointing your Glock at me is going to resolve anything?" The shorter soldier's expression hardened. "I have no qualms about returning fire now and going back to do what I told you I would do to Jackson." The gun he held jabbed the air once more. "Throw it down. Now."

"What the hell do you want?" Jack snapped. He let the gun dangle off the crook of his finger up in the air.

"I told you. A ticket off this planet. And you and Jackson are going to help us."

Jack froze. "Excuse me?" His gun hung in mid-air as he stared at the fugitive soldier.

Neumann's mouth twisted in anger. "You think we're heading off to DC for a fair trial, colonel?" His gun shook. "I heard the guards talking. We called the people who got us into this. They turned their backs on us. Us!" The hand gripping the weapon tightened and Jack fought the urge to flinch as he thought of how sensitive the trigger was around Neumann's finger. "They split us up. Our team is still stuck in some cell back there! They were going to take us to a hole in the ground!"

"Looks like I wasn't the only one who pissed off the wrong people," Jack murmured. "Neumann…who's they?"

"**They** don't matter now," Neumann spat out. "Because you're going to get us off this planet."

Jack stood there with his arms outstretched, the gun still hanging off the crook of his finger. "And how the hell do you expect me to pull that off? Neumann, I don't exactly have a Stargate in my backyard! They don't pay me that well!"

"But you do have access to **two** Stargates."

The gun swung on his finger, swaying left and right. _Come on_, Jack chanted mentally. _Watch the gun. That's it. Forget about me. Just watch the gun. _"What the hell are you talking about, Neumann?"

"You were right about one thing, colonel." Neumann's mouth spread to a thin-lipped smile. "The Stargate under NORAD will do us shit good to use." Still smiling, the rogue studied Jack up and down. "But **our** Stargate is in your auxiliary warehouse near Peterson air base. And knowing the suits, you guys probably got your greedy hands on it the instant you destroyed our mission."

"Your Stargate?"

Neumann nodded. "**Our** Stargate. What? Didn't you ever wonder how we got so many units out there in the first place? You think welding some metal plate over the beta Stargate was going to stop us? And we're going to walk right through it again, sir…or else."

Jack stared at the rifle now raised higher towards his head.

"Now, colonel. Don't think you can distract me by throwing the gun away. I've pulled the same crap in Black Ops. I'm sure you've probably read **my** file by now." The rifle pointed to the ground, then swung back up towards Jack. "Right there. Now."

A muscle flicked angrily in Jack's jaw. He studied Neumann, who stared back unflinching. The colonel scanned the soldier before him, at Daniel's jacket, Daniel's cellphone tucked into the jacket pocket, and images of this man pawing his friend to take them t flashed through his mind. Jack growled low under his breath.

The hammer cocked once more. It sounded loud in the dusty room.

"I thought you wanted to see Jackson, colonel," Neumann hissed. "Hard to see him if you got a hole in your gut." Neumann raised the rifle up, his eyes aiming the weapon right for Jack's chest.

"Now drop it."

_"I was busy playing I, Spy."_

_"You were doing your duty, sir."_

Look where duty got him.

Jack slowly lowered his hand and dropped his gun.

Neumann's expression didn't change. If any, it hardened further as he kicked the pistol into a dirty corner. "Turn around. Hands on that counter."

Scowling, Jack barely grunted as he was shoved up against the ruined counter. Staring at the shadows of pests fleeing left and right, Jack didn't move as Neumann patted him down, pulling clips out from his pockets, the rifle jabbing him warningly in the back of his skull. Jack curled his hand around the cellphone. If he could get a few seconds to manage to call the base without him hearing it dial-

The rifle barrel swung towards the doorway. "We're going for a drive, colonel. Let's go."

Jack straightened, slipping the phone into his jacket pocket as he pretended to straighten it out. Giving Neumann a glare, Jack pivoted around towards the entrance. As Jack walked out back towards his jeep, he heard the words ringing in his head as he and Neumann climbed into the vehicle.

_"No regrets?"_

_Loads, Danny. Loads_, Jack thought as he turned the key. Neumann settled in the backseat, poking the barrel between Jack's shoulder blades. Jack gritted his teeth and pulled at the stick shift to drive.

With a roar, the jeep slowly pulled away from the gas station, made a U-turn and headed straight for the mountains.


	15. Perpetual Check

"I told you all I will tell you folks already," Makepeace replied in a tired voice so unlike him. The soldier sat down on the gurney and stared up to the viewing glass. "You had me in interrogation all day yesterday and now bring me here. Nothing's going to change in my report, sir."

Teal'c watched as General Hammond spoke into the microphone. They all watched through the glass window into the Isolation room, now a temporary interrogation cell for the rogues who had worked for Maybourne. Major Davis with his arms folded across his chest, stood off to the sidelines, watching the proceedings with a worried expression.

"Colonel Makepeace," Hammond tried again. "Your cohorts Neumann and Lieutenant Tobias are missing from their cells."

The tall soldier merely grunted. "So? Obviously I didn't escape with them. I'm still here for now."

Major Carter curled both hands around the microphone. "Sir, how well did you know Neumann and his team?"

"I didn't." Makepeace ran a hand through his hair. "I didn't know who were on those teams."

"Teams?" Major Carter gave Teal'c a look. He silently agreed. The plural was disconcerting.

"Yeah, probably a hell of a lot more than Maybourne let on." Makepeace grunted. "And you don't have to call me Colonel anymore, Major. They'll formally give me a dishonorable discharge in DC pretty soon." He wiped his hands across his thighs, looking very cross. "I don't regret it, General, if that's why you got me here with all the questions."

Major Carter glanced over to the general. She covered the microphone with her hand. "Sir, do they know some of the members were killed?"

"Many of the members were being questioned when the break-ins had occurred. So they don't know what was happening to the rest down below. We don't want to alert whoever has been providing them info or helped them escape to know," General Hammond replied, his own hand covering the mouthpiece.

"You believe there is still a traitor among us," Teal'c surmised. Davis' eyes widened, but the liaison said nothing. The Jaffa frowned. "They may still wish to try and eliminate them as with the others."

"So if they catch up with Neumann and the colonel…" Major Carter trailed off. Daniel and the colonel could be caught in the crossfire.

General Hammond sat there with his hands folded in front of him, staring through the window at Colonel Makepeace. Teal'c returned his attentions to the soldier as well.

"Colonel O'Neill and Doctor Jackson are missing as well," General Hammond suddenly said.

Makepeace frowned. Just a little. "What?"

Major Carter held the microphone tight. "Colonel, we believe Neumann or perhaps some of the others may have taken them hostage."

"We don't—" Makepeace stopped. "I mean, you guys don't deal with terrorists." He folded his arms in front of him. "What good would it do for us to take them?"

"Perhaps they are not thinking rationally," Teal'c announced. "Perhaps for revenge." Major Carter twisted around to look at him. Swallowing, she faced the glass again.

Makepeace heard Teal'c. His eyes actually widened slightly before they shifted away to stare at the corner out of their view. His chin stuck out as he looked elsewhere. "I don't know anything about that."

"Colonel Makepeace, I insist you cooperate with us in this matter. It may go well with your trial later on," General Hammond said quietly.

The soldier merely grunted.

Teal'c knew that look of defiance. "He will not talk."

The sigh that escaped Major Carter told him she agreed.

General Hammond did not seem pleased. "Have someone escort him back to his cell. Tell them to bring the next person in."

"Yes, sir."


	16. Prophylaxis

The trees whipped behind him as Daniel ran. Dimly, he realized he did this before. Daniel half expected to hear the crunch of a twig being stepped on and feel the hot bite of spark from their stun gun again. He was tempted to go back and search for his cellphone as well, call the base for help. But he couldn't find the phone after a quick search and he very much doubted Tobias was going to sleep the day away either. He has to go, find Jack, and warn him away.

A rock showed up out of the blue under his feet and Daniel found himself slamming down face first on the dirt before he could throw his hands in front of him. Daniel gasped, feeling the sting of cuts on his face and hands as he got up once more.

Direction. He needed direction.

The morning sky was gray and murky, the stars not even faintly twinkling in the early hours. Nothing to navigate by. Daniel heaved, gulping huge swallows of air as he tried to recognize anything that would tell him where he was.

Off the distance, Daniel could hear the roar of a river. River? He frowned. Sounded smaller. Daniel craned his neck to see beyond the next rise, which looked daunting, steep and high. Maybe a stream? Daniel wanted to call out, hoping some camper would hear, but he had a funny feeling the only person who would hear was the one he just left back in the cabin.

Daniel's shoulders slumped. _Trees, trees, trees_, he thought. He might as well be on another planet. Daniel snorted. It was something Jack would say.

With shaky legs, Daniel got up. He wiped a hand across his mouth and spat out the blood he could taste. He has to keep going.

Daniel pulled at his sweater, wishing he found his jacket before he left. Unfortunately, he had other things on his mind—

"Jackson!"

Daniel snapped his head back when he heard the bark of a gun. A twig snapped away as its victim. Birds squawked, taking flight for the sky in a cacophony of sound. Another bullet zipped by so fast, Daniel heard its angry buzz go by his ear. He stumbled backwards a step, one hand clamped over his ear as he twisted around and saw the trees seem to shake as Tobias plowed through.

_Then again, maybe not._

Daniel had no choice but to run as another shot kicked up dirt inches off his feet. He could hear Tobias cursing, crashing into trees. At least he knew where she was. Right behind him. And getting closer.

Daniel found himself climbing up the rise, skidding in the loose dirt. Another shot. Daniel whipped his head back as the last shot zipped past his ear again. They rung with both the bullet and Tobias' furious voice. They spurred him to move faster. Of course she would have a gun. Why didn't he check for it before? Daniel swore softly as he tripped at the top, nearly tumbling forward before he threw himself back to halt his descent. It was a good thing, too.

The rise dropped to a long drop down to the stream Daniel thought he heard. Swollen from the recent rainstorms, it churned with the strength of a river, frothing white and black as it cut a line across the small slope as far as the eye can see.

"Oh God," Daniel murmured, dismayed. He twisted around to head off another direction when he saw the bushes he had crashed through suddenly move, shaking as someone barreled through them. Daniel saw the gleam of a gun, a flash of light hair, and knew there was no time left.

"Son of a—" Tobias' red face came into view, her gun already up. She stood there, heaving, her lips a thin white line. Even her fist around the gun handle was shaking with anger. "You little…" She spat on the floor. "There's nowhere you can go, civie. Get down from there."

Daniel raised his hands. "You don't want to do this."

The hammer cocked. He flinched.

"Oh, don't I?" she breathed. "Don't try to theorize what I do or do not want to do, Jackson. I-"

He tried to remain calm, his hands still open towards her. "You said you needed addresses from me. Killing me won't get you anything."

"So we'll get it from the colonel." Her eyes shone with such anticipation, Daniel could have sworn they practically glowed. "One way or the other." The gun was steady, chest high. "Don't think you can hold me with that, Jackson." Tobias' mouth twisted to a sneer. "I've dealt with worse bargains, men who think they can screw with me by waving rank over me." She flicked the tip of her tongue across her lips. "Last guy was sure sorry he'd tried. How did you think the military suddenly decided I was too…hostile?"

Ice crawled down Daniel's back. He stared at the gun, avoiding the gleam he knew was in Tobias' expression. "We're not the enemy here," he said softly. "We're all trying to fight the same enemy—the Goa'ulds." It surprised him how steady his voice was. "You really don't want to do this."

"Funny," whispered Tobias. "That major said the very same thing before I broke his arm." She smiled and flexed her finger. The hammer cocked loudly in the clearing.

Daniel took a step back instinctively before he remembered. He felt his foot slip, his body leaning towards the drop.

The gun fired at the same moment.

Excruciating fire scorched a line across his right forearm, the force sending him back another dangerous step. He tried to throw himself bodily forward, but another shot bit at the ground at his feet and his foot slipped off the breaking edge completely..

As he fell, Daniel saw a blurred face over the edge. Briefly, he thought he heard more thunder but the roar of water blasted all other sounds away. Then he felt the icy water slamming hard as he landed, nothing but ice spraying up around him, God, cold ice water flooding over his eyes. He felt the current pulling at him, grabbing him, squeezing him even as he tried to breathe.

And then…he felt nothing.


	17. Strategy Call

Davis, after a few short, clipped words, hung up the phone.

"General, they just found the car they'd escaped in."

Sam raised her head from resting on the heel of her hand. She stared expectantly at the liaison.

"One of the guards who signed off of duty just a few hours before the intruders' arrival, was found in the trunk." Davis said quietly. "He's dead, sir. Looks like severe electrical shock. No sign of Ford or the other two MIAs still. We're to assume they're AWOL now."

"The escaped may not be aware of what has happened in their absence then," Teal'c noted. He stood there, as he had been the past hour, looking ready to charge through the door. The Jaffa had been eyeing everyone who came and left the room. "They will not be pleased if they were to discover their five comrades' demises."

Sam swallowed, choosing not to comment. She stared at the file before her instead.

"One gun probably from whoever let them escape, and one from the dead guard." Hammond did the math with a grim look. "Two guns, people. They are armed."

"I checked with someone. Daniel's cellphone was in use a few times, but not long enough to put a trace. The colonel is not picking up his phone." Sam sucked in her breath. She looked down at the Isolation room where the last rogue was being interviewed. "Sir, they're the only ones who may possibly know."

"They are not talking," Teal'c rumbled. "Perhaps we should search instead."

"But where?" Waving a hand towards the viewing glass, Sam felt a bit of desperation creeping into her voice. "Where should we even start?"

Hammond rose to his feet. Davis straightened automatically, stepping away from the wall. "Major, alert the Chiefs of Staff we may have a breach here. I'm authorizing a search right now. We start from this base and spiral outward." He glanced over to Sam. "Major Carter, you and Teal'c take a copter out and check the auxiliary base, see if there's anything you can find that may help—" He stopped.

Sam and Teal'c were already standing, ready.

The general nodded. "Dismissed."


	18. Knight to Bishop

_"Hurt?" Jack asked as he batted away the nurse with her scope. She keep poking it in his ear. He glared at the staff member. "Knock it off, will ya? No matter how you try, that light still ain't gonna come out the other side!" He growled as the nurse smiled, amused, before walking away. Jack turned back to Daniel and repeated his question._

_Daniel shrugged. Then he yelped when the nurse applying the stitches gave his thigh a cheerful slap before going off to get more gauze. He smiled sheepishly at Jack, who rolled his eyes. "Okay, maybe a little." _

_"And you were going to go get me with that," Jack muttered in mock disgust. "How? Go hop hop hopping into the fridge and get me out of the ice box?" Out of habit, Jack fingered the bandage on the back of his neck. He tugged at the ends of his robe. Why was it so cold here?_

_"I couldn't leave you there, Jack."_

_At Daniel's serious tone, Jack turned back towards the archeologist. Daniel's eyes were huge, his face white._

_"To think we were going to just…" He swallowed and looked away. "Sam told me to stay. I wanted to go after her, but Makepeace…"_

_Thank God, Jack thought, unwilling to imagine Daniel hobbling, unable to run when he gets ambushed. But the idea Daniel wanted to try made a little fire warm him from the inside. Jack smiled. "Thanks. I mean, for wanting to. It all turned out okay in the end anyway, Daniel."_

_The relief on Daniel's face was overwhelming. Jack blinked. "I am really glad you're okay. I hated to think of…uh… anyone…of you getting left behind."_

_Daniel's words echoed inside Jack. He nodded and reached over to pat Daniel on the knee. "No one gets left behind," Jack vowed. "No one." He gave the knee a squeeze._

_Daniel yelped._

_"Oh geez, sorry!"_

"You awake yet?"

Something tapped his jaw roughly. Jack grimaced as the contact made him fully aware of the pounding he had in the back of his head. He cracked open an eye and saw the hollow round end of the rifle tapping at his cheek. Jack jerked as memory came crashing over him.

Neumann.

"You didn't have to hit me," Jack bit out. He wanted to scratch his cheek where he could feel the swell of heat where a bruise was sure to be forming. Last thing he recalled was turning off the key of his jeep on a dirt road barely discernible from the rest of the forest. Jack had quietly fingered his cellphone. Neumann hadn't demanded the item from him and Jack was about to tuck it into his boot when he felt a hard knock to the back of his head. Jack turned his head, feeling the rough scrape of the floor underneath him. Neumann was sitting on a ratty couch, the rifle balanced on top of his knees.

"Didn't want you to get too familiar with your surroundings now, colonel?" The wiry soldier raised his gun again. "Get up."

"Up, down, make up your mind," grumbled Jack. He got up shakily anyway as best he could with his hands tied in front of him, steeling himself until the room finally stayed still. Without turning his head, Jack quickly examined the place with a glance. Two other doors, looks to lead to other rooms. Shut. Looked like only one way in or out. The cabin appeared old, no electricity, bare except for a lopsided table, chair, and the couch, . He spied a handgun on top of the rickety table and flexed his fingers.

"One of our rendezvous points."

Jack turned back to Neumann. The rogue nodded back towards the cabin. "We meet here if we're on Earth and something had gone wrong." The pencil thin mustache twitched. "And here we are."

Another glance around the cabin and Jack realized there was no one else here. Sharply, Jack shot a glare at Neumann.

"Where is he?"

"Tomorrow, at 0800, we are going to drive down to Peterson. That's where the gate should still be. If they are staying on schedule, the rest of our team will be transported in three separate vans. Unmarked, heavily guarded," Neumann acted like he didn't hear. "Once we get them out, you're going to use your access to gain entrance to one of their warehouses where the beta Stargate is. We need an—"

"I asked you where is he?" Jack bunched his fists. He took a step forward.

The rifle swung back up again. "Don't."

"Where is he?" Jack hissed. "Where did you hide him?"

Neumann kicked at his legs, sending Jack crashing down to the floor. He pushed off with his elbows and abruptly a jolt pierced him on the back. God! He shook uncontrollably on the floor before he finally flopped back down on the floor. Jack found himself staring at two pairs of boots before they merged to one again. His hands kept twitching.

"You're not the one in position to make any demands, colonel." Neumann hoisted the rifle with both hands. He tapped it on Jack's forehead before one hand reached into his pockets and drew out a stun gun. Jack scowled at it. "Nice, huh? Jackson didn't seem to care for it too much before either."

"You little piece of—"

"I want you to call your sources and don't say you don't have any because you do," Neumann cut Jack off before the colonel could say anything. "Call them and patch them through to the auxiliary base. Find out what happened to my men, are they still at there."

Silent, Jack would only glare at the rogue.

"You're usually good at following orders, sir," Neumann told him. "I expect full cooperation or else, if you know what I mean."

"Where. Is. He?" Each word sounded like it was forced out of Jack. Teeth bared at Neumann.

The rogue hesitated, just a little, his eyes darting to his right. Jack tracked the gaze to one of the rooms, its door shut. Ah ha. Was Daniel in there?

The rifle clicked as Neumann cocked the hammer. Jack whipped back towards him.

"Call them," rasped Neumann. He kept his eyes on Jack as he repocketed the stun gun and pulled out a small folded cellphone. Jack growled under his breath. He couldn't help it.

It was Daniel's phone.

The rogue tossed the phone over to where Jack laid.

"I said call them." Cold, flat, Neumann's voice was filled with restraint, like a piano wire pulled taut. Like he was barely controlling himself from pulling the trigger.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jack grew very aware of the door Neumann had glanced over to seconds before. He didn't hear anything. His stomach churned uneasily. Something was up. Something stunk from Cheyenne to probably Russia.

The rifle jabbed him hard in the ribs. The message was clear when it swung over to the shut door that drew Jack's attention.

A dark look passed over Jack's face. But he reached over and took the phone. Pausing, Jack noted the scratches on the LED face and shit, was that blood on the keypad? He raised his head and met Neumann's squarely. The rogue's expression revealed nothing. Jack's mouth twitched. He muttered a "Damn it," under his breath and proceeded punching numbers committed to memory.

"Yeah," Jack answered when a groggy voice answered after a ring. "It's me. Listen…I need a favor…"


	19. Middlegame

Cold.

With a gasp, Daniel flailed in the water before he realized he was lying on his stomach on a riverbank. He coughed, something pressing uncomfortably against his throat. Daniel coughed once more and vomited out water. Then, with another cough, his eyes burning from the rattling in his chest, he half-crawled until he was completely out of the water. With a groan, he dropped to his back and laid there staring at the sun trying hard to shine through a thick coverlet of clouds.

_Tobias' twisted face was in front of him before the gunshot rang out._

Daniel jerked at the memory. He sat up abruptly, his head whipping left and right. No shadows. No Tobias. The trees dusted with yellowing leaves swayed unbothered in the chilly wind.

A faint twinge made him look down at his upper left arm. A hole on his sleeve greeted him and Daniel grimaced. He cautiously fingered the tear on the sweater before gingerly feeling the skin underneath it. Daniel hissed.

It was definitely deeper than a cut, the bullet grazing his arm too deep. Daniel could feel the warmth of blood dampening his fingers. Making a face, Daniel wiped his fingers on his wet slacks. He swallowed convulsively at the streaks of dark red on his pants. With a groan, he got up and eyed the ridge above him. It looked tall, too daunting to climb.

_Her eyes gleamed as she surveyed him, the stun gun thumping against his ribs as she leaned forward…_

Daniel wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve. He went to the river, shuddering as icy water lapped around his calves. He crouched down, gingerly rolling up his right sleeve, hissing as he splashed water on his wound to wash the blood away. He was struck with a dizzying thirst and he quickly scooped up some more, over and over until he was able to get rid of the chalky dryness in his throat. With a sigh, Daniel splashed some more water on the wound. It stung to the point he squeezed his eyes shut and took deep breaths until it passed. Satisfied it wasn't bleeding too much, Daniel got up on shaky legs.

His brow knitted together as Daniel tracked the profile of the ridge above him, the water gurgling behind him unconcerned. He set his jaw and scrambled over to the face before him. Daniel hesitantly grabbed for one rock and pulled at it. The rock held. Okay, that was good. Daniel grimaced as he reached out with his other arm and grabbed another hold. Ow, okay, not as good, but doable. Definitely doable.

_I can do this. No, I have to do this._

With those words chanting in his head, Daniel slowly began the torturous climb up the short cliff. Silently, he hoped he wouldn't find anyone waiting above him.


	20. Notation

Sam ignored the stares as she studied the length of the hallway with Teal'c, Siler, and Simmons. Thank god she took her patches off her uniform. The Jaffa kept with his flight jacket and pants, donning a cap just like the colonel's. But as usual, the almost Oriental looking eyes, calm demeanor and well, the fact that he was **huge**, was drawing much too much attention to her and the group General Hammond sent along to scan the crime scene.

Bad enough everyone was gawking at Teal'c, especially the sergeant who came down to give her the tour and point out everything he witnessed. Sergeant Kent kept glancing over to Teal'c with a dubious look, even tried drumming up a conversation with him, resulting only in silence. So the walk to the cells had been awkward. Sam was overwhelming relieved to see the gates in sight.

"The prisoners were taken to here?" Teal'c inquired, coming up from behind. He gave one soldier who was lingering by the first gate to the corridor a finely arched eyebrow. The soldier hastily looked down at his clipboard.

The tall man grimaced. Scratching his jaw, the solder grunted. "Not exactly Leavenworth, huh?"

She made a face but avoided commenting. Not exactly maximum security. This base was never meant to hold prisoners long term. _Only place they could transport them in such a short time without bringing attention to ourselves on this fiasco_, she thought, recalling her CO had griped about the same thing before he was shuttling back and forth to meet with Davis before Davis- She frowned. Hm. That's funny, if she wasn't mistaken, didn't the colonel say-

"We're here," Kent announced, interrupting her musings. He grunted a greeting to one of the guards. "Hey, Lee."

"Joe," the guard returned. "Any word on Ford yet?"

"Neither hair or hide," replied Kent. Noting the curious expression on Sam's face, he explained. "One of the men missing since the breakout." An odd look flitted across the sergeant's face. "I thought he was on base while-" He shook his head. "Come on. We left everything alone down here since we notified Peterson base about this. "Although…" He frowned. "That's some weird outfits they got you in, ma'am."

Sam almost forgot their cover that they were from Peterson, not Cheyenne. "Uh, off duty dress code." She shrugged as if she didn't understand it herself. Ducking under the yellow tape that barricaded the entire wing, she waved her id at the guard, noting the guard barely gave it a glance the moment he recognized Kent. Great. No wonder people were able to get in. She sighed under her breath and nodded towards Siler and Simmons. "Mind if our team here does a sweep?"

Kent looked puzzled. "Uh sure, but like we said, we didn't find anything unusual here aside a couple of bullet shells."

_That's because you weren't expecting to find anything unusual_, Sam thought but merely smiled. "We just need to verify the findings for our own files." Still seeing the doubt, she added "You know how they are."

"Yeah, sure do. Had me doing my report in triplicate." Kent tipped his cap up in a gesture that reminded her of the colonel. "We met the intruders down the hall this way." He started towards the end of the corridor.

Siler came up to Sam with a questioning look. The major leaned closer to his ear and whispered "See if there are any signs of technology **we** use that might have been used here. Might give us an idea on who these people are."

The engineer silently nodded. With a low whistle, he motioned to Simmons to follow him. The two quietly and discreetly pulled out modified Geiger counters. Simmons paused, looking over to her, ducking his head when Sam nodded towards him. Making sure Kent wasn't looking behind them, the two began scanning the hallways.

Teal'c stopped abruptly at the cell tagged "Eleven". He fingered the yellow tape slashed across the threshold. "This is where one of the two escapees dwelled."

The sergeant giving them the tour stopped and glanced over to the indicated cell. He nodded. "Yeah. Pretty quiet bunch. Pretty restless in their cells, but otherwise they never really did anything to the guards when they came to bring them up for questioning or brought over their meals." Kent stared at the chalk outline on the ground of the cell, regret flitting across his face before he shook his head. He waved them over as he proceeded on. "Come on, it's over this way."

Teal'c lowered his voice, bending down his head low to Sam. "The outside doors do not appear to be damaged. It would appear the intruders were aided in entering this complex."

Nodding, her voice dropped as well. "Report shows the locks weren't broken. They were let in." She remembered brushing a hand down the handle of the outer gate, a finger gliding along the sharp corners of the key card slot. There was no indentations, no scratches she could feel. "Someone from the inside."

"An ally," Teal'c concluded. He furrowed his brow. "As like Colonel Makepeace."

God, she hoped not. She could imagine how pissed the colonel would be to know how many they missed. She could almost hear the colonel ranting in her ear. If she imagined hard enough, she could hear the stronger words her CO favored that usually made Daniel exchange a wince and an amused smile towards her.

Sam sighed to herself. _Please let them be okay._ She tapped at the door before silently motioning to Simmons to take a picture of it. The young lieutenant flushed, hurrying over to take the shot. Sam caught him sneaking a sideways glance towards her.

_"Whoops? __**Whoops?**__ Thanks a lot, Daniel, now Graham Simmons is probably going to be filing charges of harassment against me!" Waving the notebook she was taking notes on, Sam pretended to take a swing at Daniel. The archeologist, however, missed his cue, blinking at the approaching book and forgot to duck. With a whack harder than she intended, the book's spiral caught the rim of his glasses, and sent them to flight. "Oh shit, sorry!"_

_"Sam!" __**Now**__ Daniel ducked, waving his hands in the air in an attempt to call a truce. "I said I thought he might have a crush on you. He had all the signs." Veering away from her, he fumbled around for his glasses. "Darn, did you see where they went, Sam?"_

_Biting back a chuckle as she saw Daniel on his knees, a certain derriere waving in front of her as he searched for his glasses on her lab floor. Hm, if she had a camera, she could make a pretty penny taking that picture and passing it around the locker room when it's the women's locker room. She'll probably be the envy of a good portion of the female staff on this base. Instead, she just stood there, leaning against the table and watched. "No way he has a crush on me, Daniel. I think you're reading it wrong." She teasingly kicked at his ankle as Daniel's search led him back to her. _

_The archeologist blinked, peering up at her. He shrugged as he rose to his feet, hands brushing away the dirt from his pants. He gave her a sheepish smile. "I am sorry. I was pretty sure." He gave the floor another look. "Nuts, I don't see them anywhere."_

_Sighing, Sam tugged at one of his sleeves to show she didn't hold a grudge. "I'm sure they're here somewhere, Daniel. Let me help you look-"_

_A rap at her door drew both their attentions. To Sam's surprise, the colonel was half-leaning out of the door, waggling his eyebrows at both of them._

_"So when's the wedding, Carter?" Grinning from ear to ear, the colonel pretended to study his fingernails. "Does Simmons know he's the lucky guy?" He paused. "Or should I say…boy?"_

_"Jack!" Daniel's mouth dropped open. The colonel luckily escaped before Sam was able to do something that would probably get her court-martial. Gr. She could hear the colonel's cackle all the way down the corridor. "I—I mean…he…" He looked over his shoulder guiltily at her. He coughed, scratching his ear as he kicked the floor. His ears were tipped in red. "I…uh…Teal'c must have told him."_

_"Teal'c?" Incredulous, Sam didn't even know how to react to that. "__**Teal'c**__?"_

_"He was the one who told me," came the meek reply. Daniel waved his hands feebly in the air again. _

_"Saw all the signs?" Sam said archly._

_"Well…"_

_"Pretty sure?" Sam pretended to frown, inwardly laughing as Daniel flushed._

_"Well…er…kind of sure. Sort of sure." Offering another little smile, Daniel waved his hands at her to ward her off. "Now, Sam—"_

_Sam huffed and pretended to stalk forward. "Why, I ought to—"_

_Crack._

_Crack? _

_Sam groaned. No way. That would be too cliché. She dared a peek to the floor, raising her left foot an inch. Sure enough, the mangled wire frames dropped off the bottom of her sole and tinkled to the floor._

_"Sam! That was my last pair!"_

_"Whoops."_

"Major Carter?"

Sam blinked. Damn, how did they suddenly get to the end of the hallway? She glanced back where they came. Siler and Simmons were busy taking photos of the cells. Turning back, she found Teal'c frowning at the corner that would have turned to the left fork the corridor branches off to.

"Well, here you are." With a sweep of his hand, Kent gestured to the hallway that split up into two directions. "To the right were the cells where the five were killed."

"The reports indicated one of the intruders were taken down as well?" Sam wondered what was Teal'c frowning at. Tracking the gaze, she realized it was a black spot on the wall.

Kent, for a second, didn't reply, staring at a spot far down the hallway. "Yeah. Actually, I was the one who was here. They pinned me down over there," Kent pointed to the very spot Teal'c was studying. "I returned fire and saw For—saw the guy fell."

Sam's brow knitted together. "Sergeant, you sounded like you were going to say something else."

The soldier shook his head. "Nah. I thought it was Ford. You know…saw him coming down the hallway ahead of me, but after the smoke cleared, I was wrong." He rubbed the back of his neck as he shrugged. "Must have been mistaken."

Sam and Teal'c exchanged a look.

Just then, Kent's radio clipped to his hip garbled to life. Speaking into it for a few moments, the soldier excused himself. He headed for the opposite hallway. Walking away, he gave the east corridor one last look before he left.

Waiting until Kent was out of earshot range, Teal'c pointed to a dark spot about three feet up on the wall. "I believe this was done by a zat'n'ktel," he reported. The corner of his mouth twitched with displeasure.

Leaning closer, her mouth pressed to a thin line. The charred concrete was literally peeling away like paper. Mutely, she nodded. Definitely a zat burn. Chewing her lower lip, Sam eyed the position it was. "Judging how dark it is, looks like it was close range. Teal'c, think you can hazard a guess to where they were standing when they—"

Silently, the Jaffa pointed to a spot.

"Never mind." Straightening up, Sam walked over to the indicated spot, right where Kent had said he shot down one of the intruders. The major stood there, hands on her hips as she studied the walls, the floor. Darn it. She really didn't know what she was looking for here. She pivoted around to ask Teal'c if he had any ideas.

Crunch.

Looking down, Sam noted the shards of colored glass on the floor. She crouched down, sitting on her heels and fingered the pieces. To her amazement, they weren't glass at all, but actually a ceramic feeling shell. Dark bronze, rounded edges. Hm, she seen something likethese before.

"Sergeant Siler!" she called out. Seconds later, she was rewarded with the sounds of a pair of boots running towards her. The tall engineer tugged at the equipment he had with him. "Anything?"

"No, Major. No signs of electronic tampering like you suggested when we got here. Doors and gates were definitely opened with a key card."

"What about this?" She showed her palm, the shattered shells in her hand.

Siler frowned, poking a finger at the fragments. "Can't tell, Major. Doesn't look like glass. Too thin to be anything mechanical."

"Their reports did not mention this," Teal'c commented as he, too, took a good look at the fragments.

"The reports are based on bullets and facts they know," Carter explained. She pointed to the charred spot. "They didn't realize that was a zat burn or even realize some of the people firing back were using other…weapons."

"Thus five prisoners were executed under our custody," Teal'c rumbled. His jaw twitched.

Executed? Sam made a face. As much as she hated to admit it, that was exactly what happened here. She rubbed her hands across her thighs, feeling her frustration grow as she knew the day was fast passing to midday and she was still nowhere closer to finding the colonel and Daniel.

She gave the shards in her hand a shake. They looked so familiar! Dammit. "I know the report said the cameras were damaged and the people who came in knew how to avoid them." She chewed on the nail of her index finger. "Let's get those tapes back to base and see what we can come up."

"And this will assist us in finding O'Neill and Daniel Jackson?"

_I sure hope so_, Sam thought. She rubbed the shards against her fingers before handing them over to Siler. _I really hope so._


	21. Endgame for Bishop

_"You ready to do this?" The question was hushed despite the fact they were safely away inside the office._

_Jack looked up from the file he was reading. General Hammond stood over him with a grave expression. Jack shrugged. He snapped the file shut. "Ready as I can be."_

_"I heard Doctor Jackson has been working day and night on this appeal for the Tollans."_

_His expression darkening, Jack bit out a "Yeah."_

_Hammond read his expression easily. "We've discussed it before. It's the best plausible way for you to begin the setup."_

_He could feel his eye twitch. He only forced out an "I know" and opened the file to review the possible list of suspects once more. God, it was such a huge list._

_"Jack—"_

_The file shut with a quick flick of his wrist. "Do you know it took both Carter and Teal'c to convince him to take a __**nap**__ yesterday?" Jack interrupted. He couldn't stop now, images flooded over him of seeing a tired Daniel, looking all excited, so damn enthusiastic at the rare chance of the Tollans offering to hear an appeal on their policies, hands shaking as he promised to join them for dinner. A dinner he will once again miss. "I even had Fraiser coming up to me to tell me how…__**concerned**__ she was about how deep Daniel was in this project. A project __**we**__ set him up for this hoax. A project no one, alien, human, or Tollan is going to read because it's a sham!"_

_"Jack." A hand dropped on his shoulder._

_His shoulders dropped an inch as Jack breathed out in a harsh whoosh. He rubbed his forehead, but the pounding wouldn't go away. "Sorry."_

_"Normally," Hammond said in a quiet voice, "I would say this ends right now. I would pull you off this mission in an instant." He walked around to his desk and sat down on the chair. The general rubbed the leather armrests with a distant look. "Normally." He raised his gaze up towards Jack._

_"But this isn't normal." Jack laughed. It sounded wrong in his ears. "Hell, what am I saying? In our line of work, little green men and aliens from across the galaxy knocking at our door for help __**is**__ normal."_

_"Change of heart?"_

_"No," Jack said automatically. At Hammond's frown, Jack amended it to a "Kind of." He threw the folder onto Hammond's desk. Leaning forward, Jack pressed his hands on the desk edge. He watched his fingers curl and uncurl over the edge, trying to relax. "They're not going to be easy to fool."_

_"I know. Wouldn't be your team if it was." Hammond pulled a pen out as if he was going to sign some paperwork. The tip hovered over the stack he had in the center of his desk. Then, with a shake of his head, Hammond set the pen neatly on the stack. "There's a lot of harsh things you'll have to do."_

_"Yeah."_

_"Lot of words going to be exchanged."_

_Jack stared at the floor. His boots needed polishing._

_"Lot of pushing to do."_

_His mouth pressed to a thin line. Unbidden, Daniel's tired face floated in front of him. "Lot of pushing."_

_"We don't have a choice here, Jack." The chair creaked as Hammond leaned forward. "They were serious about pulling out." Quietly, he pushed the folder back towards him. "You know what we've discussed. There may be a possibility of danger, Jack. We don't know who it is. It may not even be Makepeace as we thought. It could be anyone—"_

_"Not in my team," Jack interrupted._

_"Anyone, colonel," Hammond corrected him in a stern voice._

_"Don't tell me you don't possibly think that any-"_

_"I'm telling you anyone sees a hint of what you're thinking, or so much as overhears what you may try to hint to your people could place them in jeopardy."_

_A chill clenched around his heart and squeezed tightly. The past few days as he readied himself to play his 'role', one nightmare had kept reoccurring. A gunshot, coming from nowhere, hitting not him, but someone else. Each time, the face of the dead was different. Or worse, his team following after someone they __**should**__ be able to trust, only to have Makepeace turn out to be the mole and shit, if the guy got wind of Jack going undercover, who was going to pay for it? Him? Or worse- Carter, Teal'c or Daniel._

_General Hammond read the internal debate easily. "You know I'm right, Jack."_

_One hand went up and brushed across the scalp before it bunched to a fist and landed on his lap. "I know." Jack pulled the folder back towards him. With a half-hearted gesture, he flipped through the lists of suspects and missing items. He wasn't really reading any of it though. _

_"When this is all over, I'll explain everything." Hammond offered a small smile. "They'll understand. It'll be okay, Jack. It'll work out in the end."_

_Jack nodded. "Yeah." He knew, once everything was revealed, how dire the situation was, they probably would understand, and all he may be forced to do to push them away for safety's sake would be forgiven._

_But it didn't make him feel any better about it. _

Something went crashing to the wall, inches from Jack's face. He jerked away to avoid the shards. Squinting, he looked down at the mess, staring at the plastic casing. With a start, he realized it was Daniel's cellphone. Jack shuffled as if he was trying to sit up straighter, his hands down to push off. Quickly, he slipped a piece of the broken LED crystal into his palm. He raised his head when a shadow crossed over the debris. _Shit._

"You killed them," seethed Neumann.

Jack found himself being hauled up to his knees. He looked at the red face. Quickly, he curled one hand over the shard, his other hand clasped over to conceal it. "You don't know for sure that—"

"The rest of my team's been moved. I heard your guy telling you that!" Neumann barked. With a push, he sent Jack crashing down to the crumbling couch. Dust flew up like smoke. "And you're telling me three men came in and killed five of my team seconds after we left. Five! The others since moved, by God knows who!" The rogue ran a hand through his hand with a jerky motion. "If that guard hadn't been a sympathizer and told us what might be coming, we wouldn't have tried to break out. Those three others would have had us zatted three times before me and Tobias knew what happened!"

Jack glanced down at the cellphone, remembering what his man had told him, Neumann pressed close to the earpiece to listen in, the stun gun pressed even closer. He barely had time to mutter a goodbye, not even a chance to slip out a message to his source before Neumann abruptly snatched the phone away. The rogue stood there for such a long time, Jack half-expected to find Neumann spin around with his rifle again.

"It wasn't us." He rasped, his voice hoarse. _Wonder what would he say if I complain about the hospitality here? _"It wasn't us who went in there with guns blazing," he said calmly. Hidden in his lap, Jack sawed away at his binds with the crystal.

Neumann pointed a shaking finger at him. "You turned us in. You're just as guilty of pulling the trigger!" He paced around in a circle in front of Jack.

"This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't betrayed us!" Neumann spun around, his eyes dark with hate. "You turned in your own team. You!"

"I was doing my job!" Jack yelled back. "You guys were breaking our treaties. They would have pulled out if you guys kept-"

"Since when you became the diplomat, huh?" Neumann went over to a table and snatched something off its surface. He waved it in front of Jack- a broken link of chains with half a metal cuff clacked wildly in his grasp. "These aliens would no sooner help us if those snakes came back! **This** would have been our fate when those Goa'ulds come! **If** we were so lucky it only came to that!" With a heave, Neumann threw them down on the ground. "We were getting results! You saw our base! Do you even realize how much all of those things could have helped us?"

"Do you know how defenseless we would have been if we had lost our allies?" Jack gritted back.

"We got the technology! No, we **had** the technology! We didn't need alien handshakes! A handshake and a treaty on paper won't do us squat against motherships!"

"We needed **them**!" Jack shouted back. His hand was still sawing away. What he wouldn't give for a Swiss army knife right now. "They would have helped us if and when the time comes."

"And where are they now?" Smug, Neumann waved at Jack with his gun, then at the room. "Looks like you could use a bit of extraterrestrial help right about now. I don't see no Asgard beaming you up, sir."

Jack glowered at him.

The smirk faded from the rogue's face and his hands dropped to his sides. "Doesn't matter now. We can't even finish our goal even if we wanted to." Neumann held the pistol loosely in his right hand. "It's over." A mixture of anger and resignation was on the younger soldier's face. "No way can we retrieve the rest of our team now. They'll be dead pretty soon, I'm sure." He snorted, glaring at the older man. "I ain't walking through the beta Stargate alone without them. Unlike **some** COs, I don't stab them in the back," Neumann spat out. His lips peeled back into a scowl. "All that work…for nothing."

"You really thought you were doing the right thing?" Stunned, Jack sat back. "Neumann, for crying out loud, don't tell me you guys were actually thinking this was a righteous mission—"

"You see it as some covert Blacks Ops, colonel. But we knew we were the best possible defense."

Jack wrestled with his binds. Almost there. "Neumann…you can testify. You know that. We don't do things like that. You could come back with me and Daniel—" He stopped at the bitter smile on Neumann's lips. "What?"

"And do what, O'Neill? Sit nice and safe on your base until the trial begins? Colonel, do you even realize how dead I am the moment I walk into that mountain?"

"What?" A cold lump sat in his gut. Jack gaped at Neumann, his hands stopped. "There's someone still there. One of your guys."

Neumann shrugged. "Our guys, NID. Who knows? They're all the same now. If everyone's been moved to the SGC for questioning, there probably is right now. And he or she is probably going to complete what they started back in our cells." Dark pupils shrank to pinpricks. "We're probably already dead, O'Neill and just don't know it yet." He looked down at the gun he held.

"It doesn't have to be that way," Jack told him quietly. He tracked the rogue going left and right in front of him as he continued to slice away. It proved to be frustratingly slow, but he could feel the coil snaked around his hands loosening. "Neumann…you could be protected."

"Screw you." Waving his gun at Jack, Neumann frowned. "Shut the hell up. I'm sick of your lies."

Slowly, Jack twisted at the knots, fingers struggling to find some loop he could pull loose. He yanked harder and felt one knot slipping out. "Help us get them, Neumann. All of them."

Neumann snorted. The rogue sat on the edge of the table. Casually, he pulled out the clip of his gun, giving the magazine a quick count before shoving it back in again. Tucking it into his waistband, Neumann began to check the rifle now. "Help? Help you?" The soldier pretended to think it over. "Let's see…wait in my cell back in that box and die. Or back to Cheyenne and die. Oh, tough choice, colonel but I think I'm going to have to decline."

"You would be safe there," insisted Jack. "You think General Hammond would stand by and let some NID agent in to take potshots at you?" He nodded towards the cabin door. "Neumann…you would be safe."

"Safe." For some reason, Neumann laughed.

"Yeah." Jack studied the rogue. "So long you let me and Daniel go, you have my word we'll take you in to the SGC. No one can touch you there."

"Safe? **Safe?**" The younger soldier shot up on his feet, his eyes blazing. "You mean **safe** as our guys were back in that auxiliary? Safe as in those guys breaking into our cells despite security there having **tripled** ?" Neumann gripped the barrel of his rifle tightly. "Colonel, **five** of us died because you turned us in! Five!"

Jack tried not to flinch as the rifle shook in front of him. "Neumann, I know how you feel—"

The rogue laughed. The hair on back of Jack's neck rose at the sound. His gut was screaming something wasn't right. Alarmed, Jack's gaze flew to the shut door.

"How by the book of you, colonel. What was that? Number four in the book? How to negotiate with the enemy, huh?" Wiggling pairs of fingers in the air, Neumann framed his words. "You know how **I** feel? I led these men, colonel, way before you came in and turned against us! You **don't** know how I feel—" The rogue stopped. A thin smile stretched across his face. Neumann turned deliberately to look at the door. The odd chuckle returned. "No, wait. I take that back. You **do** know. Or at least…" He cocked his head towards Jack. "You will."

The uneasy feeling returned full force. Jack's arms tingled as he furiously worked at his binds. "What did you do?" Jack sat up straighter. "Neumann, what did you do?"

"Haven't you wonder why it is so quiet in there, sir?" Neumann whispered, pointing his rifle at shut door.

Jack's eyes narrowed.

"You did wanted to know where Jackson was, right?" The smile broadened, sickening in its smug satisfaction. Neumann approached the couch. He jabbed the rifle barrel to Jack's chest. "Would love to tell you colonel, but I can't."

Despite the poking weapon on his chest, Jack leaned forward. The shard dug into his palm as he drew a fist. "Why not?" he asked tightly. "Neumann…where is he?"

Shrugging, Neumann pulled back. He smiled, flashing teeth as he said casually "You would have to ask Tobias."

"Why?" Jack demanded. His chest tightened with anxiety. "Why would the lieutenant know?"

"Because she would know where she'd buried his body."

The cabin dimmed and all the sound fled from the room. Jack felt his chest seized, squeezed in a tight vise. "What?" he barely managed out.

"You got my men into this. They take down my men, I take down yours." Neumann's smirk turned ugly, his eyes gleamed at Jack. "Guess you really **do** know how we feel, colonel." He laughed, his rifle lowering a little. "Poor guy just wouldn't believe you weren't coming. Even after she beat him over and over again. Made a mess out of that room." He cocked his head towards the shut door, then to Jack. "Kept calling out your name, you know. Until he started begging us to stop." Neumann tapped the barrel of his weapon against his palm. "Then after a while, he just wasn't saying anything at all. Not much of stamina your man had there, col-"

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

If the glimmer of fear that flashed across Neumann's face registered to Jack, it didn't slow him down. A roar filled his ears, something hot, burning coursed through his arms. Jack didn't listen. He didn't even think.

He acted.

With a howl, he lunged at Neumann. Didn't matter his arms were bound. Didn't matter about the rifle. In fact, the rifle was long forgotten. Even by Neumann, who took one look at Jack's murderous expression and started.

The shard Jack had felt and crumbled under Jack's boot as the colonel surged forward. His hands bunched to red fists, the ropes snapped away in time for Jack to slap the rifle out of Neumann's hands.

Incoherent, Jack shouted at Neumann, who recovered from his momentary shock. The rogue swung out, connecting with Jack's chin, but the colonel didn't relent. To his satisfaction, Jack found his hands around Neumann's throat. With a heave, Jack pushed until they were on the ground now, Jack's knees pressing down on the rogue's chest.

"I warned you," Jack whispered. "You weren't going to touch him."

"Eye for an eye, O'Neill!" Neumann spat out. He grabbed at Jack's wrists, clawing at them. The hands flew when the grip tightened. "O'Neill-" he wheezed.

"You think if I squeeze slowly enough," Jack whispered. His chest was pounding, Neumann's words shrill in his ears. "You think you'll hear your own neck snap before you go?"

The rogue's eyes widen. His arms fell to the floor and they stared at Jack in shock. "You w-wouldn't-"

"You did piss off the wrong people, Neumann," Jack rasped. _God, Daniel. God damn it, I was too late. _The room turned red before him. Jack leaned closer. "Me," he breathed.

"D-don't!" Neumann gasped as Jack's long fingers wrapped tighter in a vise around his throat. "I'll t-tell you…I'll tell you…"

Jack's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What?"

Something black went by the corner of Jack's eyes. Shit! The stun gun! Jack twisted around to grab it, but too late, the pincers sparked and connected with his shoulder. The hard plastic casing swept up and bashed against Jack's ear.

Jack found himself falling sideways, his hands releasing Neumann. He grabbed at the rogue's wrist but now the stun gun was activated, blue sparks scalding Jack's fingers. The colonel howled, snatching his fingers back before the current could travel.

"How does it feel now?" Neumann shouted, his pupils narrowed to pinpricks on Jack. He rammed the stun gun to Jack's shoulder. The colonel grunted as a jolt raced down his body. He twitched, unable to block the furious kicks to his side.

"We trusted you! We were under your command and you friggin' screwed with us!" The kicks came from everywhere it would seem. Jack barely had a chance to cover his head before a swift kick slammed into his stomach. The room darkened, growing tighter in space.

"How does it feel to know he died because of you, colonel?"

Jack couldn't respond. He found himself staring at Neumann's boots, the broken shard of crystal crushed under the heel.

_Daniel._

A well of remorse choked at his throat and Jack was snatched away from what he hoped to God was only a nightmare.


	22. Sicilian Defense

He couldn't stop shaking.

Daniel pressed his face against the rough texture of bark as he allowed himself a few moments of rest. His muscles screamed from the strain of his climb, his legs quivering with the effort to keep him upright. He looked wearily up the hill, at the faint square of light at the crest of the steep hill, the afternoon sun reflecting off glass from the far distance. He didn't relish going so close to the cabin, but with no familiar landmarks, it was the only way he knew he was heading away from the cabin, from them, and hopefully towards help or better yet Jack.

The river had carried him so far, farther than he originally calculated. It took him several hours before he found himself back at the clearing where Tobias had found him before. Daniel'd stayed there, crouched behind a outcropping of rocks, holding his breath as he scanned the landscape. The female rogue was nowhere in sight, but God, his throat tightened at the idea she was out there, the mad gleam in her eyes, possibly creeping up behind him.

He stayed at his safe haven until the sun moved higher in the sky before he finally dared to emerge from the shadows the outcropping provided and ventured down the sharp incline. Then, going parallel to the cabin down the slope took another hour. Daniel thought it wasn't too steep, but after a few near misses, ugly scrapes from where he couldn't control his fall, his body told of another story. Daniel also had a funny feeling they may actually be on one of the mountains rather than camping grounds. The air was definitely thinner and the trees were different from the occasional elm and pine he was used to seeing lining up the town. Great, that meant walking down the highway and finding the first phone may be out of the question.

_And to think you were dreading a nice night of dinner and chess_, he thought ruefully as he unsuccessfully wiped the sweat off his face with a sleeve. Judging by the gritty feel on his skin he probably ended up making himself look worse. No matter. What mattered was that he finds the highway he felt underneath him when he was first dragged out of the car. _Find a highway, find a car, and then help. And Jack. Find Jack._

Like a mantra, "Find Jack. Find Jack" echoed in Daniel's weary mind as he stumbled over unseen rocks, bumped into tall, towering timber. One hand pressed the injured arm tight to his side. Daniel was tempted to rip his shirt under his sweater and try and make some sort of sling. The late afternoon chill that nipped at his face and fingertips decided it for him. So he kept going, struggling to balance with only one hand out to guide his path, his right arm close to his body. He winced as branches snapped back on his sore arm, the occasional drip of warmth trailing down his fingers told him how bad it was.

Daniel cringed when he heard the flap of wings whiz by him as birds awaken and fled from his path, zipping by in a flash of colors and sound. He turned, checked behind him. Along the short ridges and cliffs along the rain-swollen river, he recalling seeing caves, or more like depressions, he was sorely tempted to crawl into and sleep. God, he was so tired! A few hours and maybe his limbs would cooperate better. But no, he can't stay. Can't stop either. If he did, he knew he wouldn't be able to get up later on. So Daniel rolled back his shoulders, biting his lower lip to keep from crying out as his arm protested. He told himself, left foot, good, then his right, even better. Back to his left foot again. Excellent. Okay, he was walking now. Back to the right foot.

And then…his foot slipped.

A cry escaped him as his right foot shot out from under him. He backwheeled. No good. His left foot couldn't regain balance and promptly skidded off the ground and dropped him on his side. Lights exploded in front of him. Before Daniel could get up, he began to fall.

Or roll.

Tumbling, rolling, Daniel vaguely remembered in time to bring his arms up to cover his head. Spinning, he grunted as rocks spat at his face, his arms. He heard clothing tear, twigs snapping under him until finally, he came to a slamming stop on the hard ground.

Hard, **flat**, ground.

Cautiously, Daniel raised his head. He groaned as new aches and sores throbbed throughout his body. God, now **everything** hurt. He blinked, the world too fuzzy to see where he was. It took him a few times before everything sharpened. He found himself staring at a huge stretch of grey.

The highway.

Daniel pushed up with his elbows, grimacing as his arm burned. It was bleeding again. He fixated on the pattern of drops, red landing on gray before he shook out of his daze. The world grew blurry for a moment and Daniel thought he was going to blackout. He dropped his head and took a deep breath, then another and the darkness receded back to day.

There was a car.

Daniel jerked back, to avoid its path before he realized its headlights were not on. In fact, it was sitting sort of odd, almost teetering on its side. He rubbed his eyes and the shadows that surrounded the vehicle peeled back. It was a jeep.

_Oh no._ Daniel stared at it in dismay. Couldn't be, could it? He got up shakily, swaying on his feet. With halting steps, he moved towards it. The car didn't react. Of course, it didn't. Daniel could see it was stuck in a ditch, or perhaps driven into a ditch. The colors of dark green, that hideous color Sam once secretly told him reminded her of pea soup, blurred then cleared up into view. Daniel shook his head, immediately regretting the move when the jeep vanished for a moment once more, then reappeared. Couldn't be…

Something white over its dashboard swung left and right in front of Daniel. Small, glowing an odd iridescent green. Daniel's shoulders drooped.

_"You're kidding, right?" Daniel slurred as he stared at the little green alien toy Jack hung down from his rear view mirror. He pawed at it, but missed. Darn drugs. Doctor Fraiser had him full of muscle relaxants, painkillers and so forth, everything looked like they were screened behind a wall of Jello. Great, and he has two days of bland food and Jack's stern caretaking to bear, too. Wouldn't have been so bad but then Fraiser had examined him and realized he was coming down with the flu he must have caught from Major Colburn from their last jointed mission. So instead of the option of just sleeping it off at home, it was the infirmary until Jack stepped in and offered this alternative. Wouldn't have been so bad if Jack hadn't conveniently forgotten to bring Daniel's briefcase to the car. Nuts. The alien trinket danced in front of him. "When did you get this?"_

_"Cassie. Doc said she saved up all her allowance to get us stuff for our birthdays. Course, she spent most of it buying all that candy. Guess her home planet never heard of gummy bears and pixie sticks before. Got me and Teal'c this thing. Big guy didn't get the joke," Jack said cheerfully, keeping his eyes on the road. He spared a glance towards Daniel, a little frown on his face. "You look greener than the little guy though."_

_"You would too if you fell off a bridge," wheezed Daniel, trying to cover a cough, but judging the sideways look Jack gave him, it didn't work. Daniel rolled back his shoulders. The seatbelt was digging into one bruise. Ouch, that hurt. Daniel tried to distract himself by batting at the alien. The alien swung to the extreme right._

_"Hey, leave George alone."_

_"__**George?**__" Daniel sputtered. He looked over to Jack. The older man didn't look at him, but he was chuckling. "This thing has a name?"_

_"Don't he look like a George to you?" Jack turned his head enough to show Daniel he was waggling his eyebrows before he averted back to the road again. "Come on, calling him Thor might be…insulting."_

_"Oh, and naming him after the general, isn't?"_

_"I didn't name him after the general," Jack defended himself. "Just happened to be that this little guy here looked like a George."_

_"I'm sure he'll be just as understanding when I tell him."_

_Jack's eyes darted over to him. "You wouldn't."_

_Daniel smiled. Boy, he felt a whole lot better now. "Wouldn't I?"_

_Sighing, Jack stared back in front of him. "What ya want?"_

_"Um…how about tearing up that little list Doctor Fraiser slipped you while I wasn't watching?"_

_"How you—" Jack shook his head. "Nope, Doc said until your throat felt better, no—"_

_"I feel fine." It would have been convincing had Daniel hadn't started coughing again._

_"Forget it. Desert Storm, Goa'ulds and giant killer alien roaches I can handle, but Fraiser and her damn needles, no way." Jack glared at the highway before him like it was their fault. _

_"What was General Hammond's home phone number again?" Daniel mused out loud._

_"Okay! Okay!" Jack was glaring at the plastic alien now. "One item off the list."_

_"What?" Daniel sat up, wincing as his back groaned. "Two."_

_"One."_

_"Three."_

_"Three? Where the hell did you learn your negotiating skills from?" Grumbling, Jack turned the wheel towards the familiar turnoff for his home. "One."_

_Daniel made a play for the glove compartment where Jack's cellphone was usually tossed in. "Oh, General Hammond—"_

_"Okay, okay!" Grinding his teeth, Jack bit out "Two."_

_Daniel smugly smiled. Yup, drugs nothing, he was definitely feeling a lot better. "Three."_

_"Grrr…"_

It was Jack's jeep.

Daniel looked around him, half-expecting Neumann or Tobias to leap out of the bushes. But no one emerged out of the forest, nor did anyone came driving down this road. He gazed back at the solitary jeep. Daniel swallowed hard.

He was too late. If Jack's jeep was here, then most certainly, the colonel was either on his way to get Daniel or worse, Neumann and Tobias had him. There was no time left then. Daniel couldn't leave. Not with Jack in their hands.

"Hey, George," whispered Daniel as he staggered closer to the jeep. "Seen any colonels around?"

Of course the plastic figure didn't respond. Daniel watched it sway in the breeze. One of the windows was left open.

He pressed a palm on the window and peered in, zeroing in on the glove compartment.

The door open the moment Daniel tugged at its handle. He froze and waited. No car alarm. He peered inside. Again, the vehicle smelled suspiciously like tacos. Jack used to pick Daniel up when his car broke down, eating tacos for breakfast on the way to work. It drove Daniel nuts smelling all that cheese and peppers during the long hour drive. And after a physical Jack apparently was not happy about, Sam had told him in confidence a certain doctor who would go nameless told a certain colonel who would also go nameless, that those tacos were now a no go. Apparently some habits were hard to break, though. Easing into the passenger seat, Daniel felt the vehicle rock under his weight. Another quick glance through the front window, Daniel checked to make sure no one was there before he ducked his head lower to the glove compartment.

Fingers trembling, they were so numb, Daniel fumbled until the latch popped open. A jumble of crumbled paper, broken pair of sunglasses, why did Jack keep those? And a few coins tumbled out of the tiny space. Daniel ran his fingers through the mess, shifting through the pile. Nothing. No phone.

Daniel chewed his lower lip. Could they have taken it? No, they already had his phone. He remembered seeing the thin folded device in their hands. Why would they need another?

Something cracked outside and Daniel's head shot up. He anxiously surveyed his surroundings. A couple of dry leaves tumbled by, carried by the fall breeze. Daniel pushed up with his hands on the dashboard, wincing as his hands tingled with the cuts from the ropes and the nail. But he ignored it as he scanned the road ahead, both sides of the slopes. A warning whispered in his head and Daniel's fingers dug into the textured surface of the dashboard. He panned left and right of both sides of the highway. Nothing. He waited an extra set of heartbeats, his breathing short, panting in time of the beats. Still nothing. Slowly, he lowered his head back down. He stuck his hand in the glove compartment, not even grimacing as his search revealed only a half eaten chocolate bar and some peanut shells. He looked longingly at the chocolate, but hungry as he was, chewing on the melted goo stuck to the wrapper wasn't appealing.

He reached forward to close the compartment door and a wave of agony suddenly swept over his arm, lacing up to his head. Daniel scrunched up his eyes and bit his lower lip hard enough to draw blood. Not now. He can't. Daniel leaned forward, pressing his forehead to the dashboard. The car swayed and twist around him. Bile rose to his throat and Daniel choked back the urge to vomit. He took deep breaths, waiting until the sick twisting, sensation faded. Cautiously, he sat up again.

Daniel sucked in a shuddering breath. If only the earth would stop trying to heave him off his feet! Taking a deep gulp of air, Daniel pushed open the car door. Before he could step out of the car, the sky turned black, and he fell sideways back into the jeep. Barely a second later, Daniel awoken to find his cheek pressed on the warm leather surface of the passenger seat, the stick shift digging uncomfortably into his ribs. He fumbled, pushing with his hands to hoist himself up, Daniel groaned.

Wait.

Out of the corner of his eye, past blurry seats, a small object lay just under the brake pedal. Daniel frowned. A gun? No, they would have taken Jack's gun. It was black, the same size. No, wait…

Daniel reached for it, his body shaking, threatening to pitch him forward. The minute his fingers brushed against the plastic casing, Daniel knew it was Jack's cellphone. Daniel got up on wobbly legs, as he turned the phone around. He breathed a sigh of relief. It was intact and it looked like the phone had a good amount of charge left in it. The phone jumped in his palms as he tried to get a better grip at it. He punched the number, the first one he could think of.. His mind felt so foggy, as Daniel waited for the last of the beeps to complete, he feared he may have gotten the number wrong. When he finally heard the dial tone, Daniel sagged back in the seat in relief.

And felt a gun barrel press against his skull.

"Well, well," a breathless voice blew in his ear. A shadow filled the driver side window. "What have we here?"

Before Daniel could react, a hand clawed the back of his skull and slammed him forward into the dashboard. The jeep groaned under the abuse. The gun pressed harder to his throat now.

"You really do have nine lives, civie." The door opened and the jeep shifted as someone slipped into the driver seat. Tobias. Daniel bit back a moan as she yanked the cellphone out of his hands. He could hear an operator talking on the line just before Tobias ended the call.

"Calling your girlfriend Samantha?" Tobias snarled, the gun dug deep into his arm. Daniel hissed. He jerked away, his hand curling around his right arm to somehow stem the throbbing away. "Or O'Neill?" Her lips curved upward. "Then again, looks like the colonel isn't going to be answering," she taunted.

Daniel tried to push her gun arm away, but Tobias slapped his hand like she would a fly. "He won't help you. Neither of us will."

"Uh huh." Tobias nodded as if she she knew something he didn't. She smiled. "Colonel is spilling his guts out on every address he knows to save your pathetic ass."

Stung, Daniel glared at her. "Jack wouldn't do that."

Tobias' smile grew sinister. "You're right…he wouldn't. Yet." She looked down at her gun and tsked. "Poor civie. Guess Neumann doesn't really need you anymore then."

Daniel jerked as the gun barrel dug into his arm with a new wiggle. Lights flared up behind his eyes. Stabbing with pain. Oh God, it hurt! The jeep faded, spiraling down to shadows, then reformed. When had the seat eased back? Suddenly, he was lying down, the seatbelt that hung from the harness hook was being wrapped around his throat. No! His hands whipped out, clawing at the seatbelt, gasping as it tightened, digging into the tender flesh under his chin.

"Last chance to finish what we started," Tobias whispered. Teeth flashed as she smiled, her tongue flicking across her lower lip as she gazed down at him.. . She leaned into him tugging hard against the restraint. Daniel cried out. Before he could finish, Tobias sealed her mouth over his, Daniel twisted. He could feel the seatbelt, squeezing around his throat, binding him to the head cushion of the seat. No! He fought against it, writhing violently. Daniel screamed into her mouth as her fingers dug into the bullet graze and for a few seconds, the world went totally black.

When he came to, he felt hands on him. Too many hands.

_"Beloved. Do you remember how it once was in our embrace?" Hathor's eyes glowed. "We were pleased our guards returned you to us, Chosen."_

_Her hands carded through his hair. Daniel couldn't move. He could hear Jack and Sam screaming at her, their chains rattled as they struggled to pull away from the wall that held them in place. Daniel twisted, but the guards' firm grips around his limbs were as strong as the iron that bound his friends. No! No, don't make them watch. God, no—_

"No!" Daniel garbled. He yanked at the binds that seem to wrap him. The seatbelt tightened. He choked. No, he won't let this happen again!

"I'm going to break you. No more asking nicely. We're doing this my way," Tobias hissed. She yanked at his pants button. Something ripped. "You're going to be begging me to give me those coordinates!" Her right hand pulled and Daniel sputtered, his hands flailing desperately now. He can't breathe! He reared up. Another hand was slipping into his- No!

Daniel kicked up with his knees, but she only grunted, barely budging. She even laughed, whispering how he was throwing punches like a girl, poor little civie. Poor little defenseless civie…where was that tough guy attitude he'd shown her earlier?

His hands pushed and clawed at her. The woman had a surprising strength in her, taking advantage of his injury, taking a terrifying enjoyment in watching him wheeze and gasp around the tight strap around him. Spots blotted out her thin-lipped smile as he shoved at her, trying to push her away. In his struggle, something cold brushed against his right palm. Daniel automatically closed around it before he realized it was her gun, abandoned once her sick game began. The moment his hand curled around it, Tobias stiffened, remembering. She snarled, her hands gone from the seat belt, out of his slacks and she grabbed at his wrist. Daniel gripped the Glock with both fists, grunting as he felt Tobias clawing, scratching at the grasp, trying to pry it out of his hands when—

It fired.

A red spot blossomed out of the right shoulder. Tobias' body flew back against the dashboard. The female soldier groaned, her eyes on Daniel before they fluttered shut. Without another word, she fell forward over Daniel in a slump.

He couldn't move.

Daniel lay there, gun still in his right hand, the left dangling out of the open passenger side. He still couldn't breathe, the weight of Tobias pinning him to the seat, the strap previously squeezing tight around his throat now lax in her fingers. Daniel sat there, mouth partially opened as he took in one gulp after another of precious air before the spots vanished from his vision and his chest no longer hurt to the point he couldn't move. Finally, he raised a trembling left hand and pressed two fingers at her jugular.

Tobias moaned.

He closed his eyes. She was alive. He carefully pushed her away until she rolled over the stick shift and onto the passenger's side. Daniel winced, slowly loosening the seatbelt away from his throat. The moment it was gone, he could feel a swell ballooning inside his throat. Eyes watering, he coughed, bending over double just for a brief second as he struggled to draw in a breath. Daniel gave his mouth another wipe across his sleeve. His hands were shaking. Why were his hands shaking?

Daniel held the gun with both hands, pointing it at her. But the lieutenant didn't move. He was tempted to poke the gun at her and see if she was awake, but a dry inner voice remarked that would be almost as dumb if not worse than falling for the ambush to begin with. He studied the soldier for a long while before he finally lowered the gun.

The phone! Where was the phone?

Frantically, he scanned the car floor. He spotted it on the floor mat under the brake pedal and fished it out, grasping it tightly in his left fist. Daniel warily looked at Tobias, his shaking right hand barely holding the gun steady. But she wasn't moving. Daniel couldn't relax though. He was cold. Yes, he was cold. It was cold outside. That's it. Daniel scooted back on his seat, nudging the side door open with his left shoulder. The archeologist could barely feel his right arm now, which was probably for the best. His eyes glued to the unconscious rogue, he took a step back from the car before his knees abruptly buckled.

Slamming down hard on the ground, Daniel let out a soft grunt. His knees stung, his arm screaming in agony now. Daniel staggered to his feet, stumbled away from the jeep, still keeping the rogue in sight through the windshield. Finally, his legs wobbled, having enough and deposited him on the ground only a few feet away. Daniel sat there, panting, one hand wiping across his forehead. He blinked furiously, sweat stinging his eyes.

The phone shook even when he braced it between his knees, using his left hand to punch the numbers to the base. "Come on, come on," he muttered.

Crack.

Far away, a twig broke and Daniel's injured arm whipped up with the gun towards the woods. Heaving, he sat there, the gun hand trembling on its own accord, the phone ringing and ringing as it went through the switchboard to the first number his foggy mind could recall.

"Hello?"

With a start, Daniel realized someone'd picked up. He pressed the phone close to his ear, his right arm stiff with pain, forced to stay high with the gun in his numb hands. "S-sam?" he chattered.

"Doctor Jackson?"

Daniel paused at the tenor voice. "Major Davis? P-paul?"

"Doctor Jackson." The major sounded shocked. "Where are you? We have men out looking for you and the colonel!"

"I don't know," stuttered Daniel. Damn it, he couldn't stop shaking. Cold. Cold and wet. Daniel just discovered his two least favorite things. "Don't kn-now where I am. Jack's jeep is h-here. They got Jack."

"Who else is with Neumann and Tobias?"

Daniel blinked. Who else? "I'm n-not sure…didn't see anyone there. Escaped."

"You escaped?" Davis sounded stunned.

Daniel grimaced. Apparently everyone thought Daniel would still be tied up. With Tobias. He swallowed, nausea threatening to spill over. "Where's Sam? T-teal'c?"

"They're not here. Major Carter and Teal'c went to the auxiliary base to find out anything more."

"T-tell them-"

"We will, Doctor Jackson." Davis paused. "Do you know anything about where you are?"

"C-cabin." His teeth chattering, Daniel drew up his knees and shivered. "Two hours…maybe less from where I am. Highway…I d-don't see any cars coming though."

"Listen." For some reason, Davis' voice dropped in volume. "Can you keep the phone on just a little bit longer? So we can trace the call? We couldn't trace it before. It'll give us an exact location."

Daniel nodded before it occurred to him that Davis couldn't see it. "Okay," he managed. "What about Jack?"

"Stay where you are," the major ordered. "So our men can pick you up. We'll get the colonel and the others."

Daniel nodded again. The gun in his hand drooped.

The phone buzzed for his attention. "Doctor Jackson?"

"Here," mumbled Daniel.

"Keep the line open. Stay out of sight. We'll be there soon," Davis promised.

"S-sam…Teal'c."

"I told them, Jackson. They're on their way."

He stared at the distant spot where he knew the cabin lay shrouded in a maze of trees.

_"Colonel is spilling his guts out on every address he knows to save your pathetic ass."_

_"Jack wouldn't do that."_

_"You're right…he wouldn't. Yet."_

"Doctor Jackson?"

Daniel looked down at the gun again.

_"I have no qualms killing you right now. We can easily…persuade the colonel to give us what we need before he takes us to our Stargate."_

His chin stuck out, Daniel willed his numb hands to curl tighter around it.

"Jackson?" The phone vibrated with the frantic call now.

"Just hurry," he murmured into the phone before he set it on mute and thumbed the volume all the way down. Carefully, he slipped it into his back pocket and staggered up to his feet. He lurched towards the start of the slope. The slant wasn't high, but it still stood over him as tall as anything he had ever seen. His eyes stung with the prospect of making the agonizing climb, but Daniel didn't pause. With a barely suppressed moan, he began to claw his way up the slope.


	23. Castling

"Major Davis?" Surprised to find the Pentagon liaison standing in her lab, Sam skidded to a halt. The liaison was still oddly enough, in his dress uniform, the heavy blue outer jacket unbuttoned. "What is it, did you have some news for us?" Her hopeful expression fell when Davis shook his head.

"Sorry, major. Nothing." Davis stood there, in front of her desk. He tilted his head towards the box she was carrying. "What are those?"

"Tapes," she explained. Sam took a step to the side, revealing Teal'c with a similar box. "From the past day for the cellblock where everyone was held. We're hoping to find something."

"I was told the cameras had nothing," Davis said, not moving to help her. "The perpetrators were very careful not to show their faces."

Sam grimaced. "I know." Her face cleared up as she added "But there may be something. I'm going to use my equipment and try and enhance the images and see if we can come up with anything."

Davis looked a bit strange, his eyes riveted to the boxes. "I see. Major, perhaps you should first go check and see if they had any more news about Doctor Jackson or the colonel's phones. They may have been used during your absence."

Sam's eyes lightened. "That's a good idea." She lowered the boxes, Teal'c doing the same. She spun around, heading for the door, when she paused. "Major?"

"If you don't mind," Davis said smoothly, "I'll wait here. I'm waiting for a call from DC. I'm hoping some of my sources may have ideas on where they are."

Nodding, Sam was already out the door, eager for any news, Teal'c close at her heels.

After a few moments, Davis took a step away.

Revealing the phone on the desk, a red light blinking, indicating a call on hold.

Davis picked up the receiver and listened carefully. Still no sound. The line was connected, but apparently Jackson had lowered the volume. He calmly switched over to another line, punching a number committed to memory. After a few clicks, he spoke into it.

"It's me," Davis said simply. "I got a number for you to trace. Triangulate and let the others know." He paused as he listened to the other end. "They haven't found anything. And no one is talking…yet." Nodding, Davis murmured an agreement. "I agree. Finish your end." He pulled out a handgun. Efficiently, he pulled out the clip, checked it and slid it back into its barrel again. "And I'll finish mine." Davis didn't say goodbye when he hung up. He tucked the gun back into his waistband. Eyeing the phone once more, Davis grunted as the red light still blinked. The liaison waited until finally the line on hold faded away. He smiled grimly.

Without a backward glance, Davis walked out of the room, calmly greeting soldiers as they walked by. He stopped briefly at a weapons locker, deftly swiping his card through the reader. He scanned the locker before pulling out a belt holster, slipping a handgun out and attaching it to the back of his waist. He looked left and right, making sure there was no one in the halls before he stepped out of the locker room and shut the door behind him.

There was no hesitation in his step as he veered left for the hallway that would lead him to the interrogation rooms and the cells.


	24. Overrun the Knight

Jack awoke with a wince. He rolled his tongue around the inside of his mouth. He tasted blood.

The colonel found himself tied again, his eye wincing from a trickle of blood dripping down his face, his side aching, and staring at far away boots. The footwear paced back and forth from the far end of the room as they ignored Jack.

_"Because she would know where she'd buried the body."_

Biting back the urge to groan, Jack squeezed his eyes shut.

Damn it.

_"I'm telling you anyone sees a hint of what you're thinking, or so much as overhears what you may try to hint to your people could place them in jeopardy."_

Jack had pushed, practically shoved away his team for weeks as they prepped to head to Tollana to set the trap. Days of avoiding Daniel, pretending to forget about their Friday night chess game, acting out as more annoyed than he really was during missions, keeping his voice brusque to the point it hurt his throat. God, it was hard to not say anything each time he snapped at Carter, at Teal'c, and at…at Daniel.

_"What do you want?"_

_"I'm uh...uh...I'm not sure. To tell you the truth. To talk I guess."_

Jack had thought it would be the end of it. Playing out the last act, ignoring the stunned looks on his teammates' faces as he followed the script and ripped out the Tollan device out of the wall. He went along, grousing, angry at everyone, forced to retire, stay home and wait for the vultures to show themselves. And there he waited. Instead, the doorbell rang, a timid knock on the door and he gets a very awkward Daniel Jackson standing at his doorway.

He didn't know whether to be pleased or fearful. He'd suspected someone might come. Had prepared for the possibility, every possible excuse and glib remark memorized to the last syllable.

But then it turned out to be Daniel at the door.

Daniel had come far to try and reach out. Before, he and the rest of SG-1 were the ones trying to coax Daniel out of his own solitude. Wheedle him into joining them for dinners, drag him along to outings outside the base, basically showing him there were people who actually gave a shit about Daniel.

And Daniel learned. Learned enough to offer to show up, not knowing what to expect, at Jack's door.

God, Jack half expected to hear the whine of a silencer right there. But it never came. So he swallowed his surprise, covering his momentary set back by hiding behind the bottle of beer. He was warm in the knowledge Daniel had made the effort, then ill as he realized who may be watching, and pushed his friend away in the worse way he possibly could. Smacking that learning right back beyond square one.

_"If you really believe that, I guess uh...I guess I never really knew you at all."_

_"Come on...you're a bright guy. You had to have sense some things...Then no, I guess you couldn't relate to me any more than I could to you."_

_"This whole...uh...this whole friendship thing we've been working on the last few years..."_

_"Apparently not much of a foundation there, huh?"_

Neumann's mutterings had progressed to a rapid onslaught of language now. Jack winced, his head pounding, but not enough so to fail to give the walking boots a scowl..

_"Because she would know where she'd buried the body."_

His hands, currently bound behind him again, swelled into fists. The cords of tendon on his wrists knotted white as he tugged at his binds.

_"You call anyone. __**Anyone**__, and you'll be getting him in pieces!"_

Bastards. His eyes narrowed to slits. Jack did everything they asked. Shit, he literally walked into their waiting arms with his hands in the air. And they…they…

_"_ _They take down my men, I take down yours." _

_"Guess you really __**do**__ know how we feel, colonel." _

_"Poor guy just wouldn't believe you weren't coming. Even after she beat him over and over again. Made a mess out of that room." _

_"Kept calling out your name, you know. Until he started begging us to stop." _

_"Then after a while, he just wasn't saying anything at all."_

Bile burned at the back of his throat. Jack wanted to shout. At Neumann. At Tobias, wherever that bitch was. At the damn Tollans and their plans. At Maybourne.

At himself.

_"If you really believe that, I guess uh...I guess I never really knew you at all."_

_"Come on...you're a bright guy. You had to have sense some things..."_

Damn it. Damn it! Jack wanted to take it back. Take it all back. It wasn't right. It wasn't fair. Jack knew while not always life can be perfect and smelling like roses, but he didn't want the last thing Daniel ever remembered was…was…_"Apparently not much of a foundation there, huh?"_

Jack yanked at his binds so hard, they cut into his skin. He glared at Neumann, who realized he was awake now. Burning, smoldering coals directed at the rogue. For a long second, time clicked away as Jack silently looked at him. Just looked at him. He didn't need words. Judging by the way Neumann averted his eyes, Jack knew his message came across.

Someone was going to pay.

"You brought this on yourself, colonel." Neumann spoke up from all the way down the end of the cabin. He stroked the rifle balanced in his hands. "The minute you agreed to some aliens' plan to undermine us, you started the cycle." The rogue met Jack's gaze again. "You were in Black Ops. I read your file. You know the saying 'eye for an eye' Surely you didn't think your involvement would have been forgotten?"

"If you read my file," Jack said coldly. "Then you also know what I did to some during my, quote unquote, Black Ops days."

The corner of Neumann's left eye twitched. Jack saw a brief flash of fear and satisfaction surged into his chest. "Bold talk for someone tied up over there." Neumann tapped the rifle in his palm. Shaking his head, Neumann peered out between the boards on one of the windows. "To be honest, I had nothing against Jackson. Mind you…didn't agree in his embracing little green men policies, but he stuck it out with the project, did pretty okay." The rogue shrugged. "He just knew the wrong people." He fixed on the window, his hands tight around the rifle. "Poor Jackson," he taunted at the colonel, still watching through the window. "Really thought you were coming. Tried so hard to tell us to stop." His eyes turned cold as he steadied them on Jack.

Jack could hear his molars grinding out loud. He tugged at the ropes. Shit, they were really tight this time. He wiggled on the floor, letting swearing softly. His boots thumped loudly.

Amused, Neumann swung his rifle back at Jack in a lazy circle. "Mad? Wanna wrap your hands around my throat again?" The rogue touched a spot just below his Adam's apple. "Have to admit. You're good. Really thought I was going to buy it there." His face hardened. "You can be as sure as hell I won't be falling for that again."

"Neumann…there is no way in hell you and Tobias are going to walk through any Stargate," Jack grated out. He flopped uselessly on his belly. Crap. He really wanted to yell now, but he had a feeling it would only amuse Neumann to no end. He glanced left and right of the cabin. "Where is she? Tobias."

Something flickered across Neumann's expression. "She's around."

Jack narrowed his eyes. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he felt a twinge.

_"Poor guy just wouldn't believe you weren't coming. Even after she beat him over and over again. Made a mess out of that room." _

_"Kept calling out your name, you know. Until he started begging us to stop." _

_"Then after a while, he just wasn't saying anything at all."_

Jack sat up with a grunt. He looked around the cabin. "Where is she?" Jack whipped back to Neumann. The rogue was peering out through the boarded window again.

"You know how long it takes to dig a grave, colonel," Neumann murmured with a smirk. He waved the rifle in Jack's general direction. "Don't even move, colonel. Would hate to bury another right now just when it's getting dark out there." The rogue chuckled at the look on Jack's face.

_"Poor guy just wouldn't believe you weren't coming. Even after she beat him over and over again. Made a mess out of that room." _

_"Kept calling out your name, you know. Until he started begging us to stop." _

_"Then after a while, he just wasn't saying anything at all."_

Something just wasn't right.

_"Get out of here!" _

_"You're just going to blow up with the other ship anyway. What difference does it make? Go." _

_"Just go…I'll stay and watch your back." _Daniel…

_"Kept calling out your name, you know. Until he started begging us to stop."_

_"Just go…I'll stay and watch your back."_

"He's not dead."

Neumann's eyes flew to Jack's in an instant.

_"Just go…I'll stay and watch your back."_

Jack stuck out his chin. "The Daniel Jackson I know wouldn't be begging for his life. I'd seen him go up against a horde of Jaffa with nothing more than fancy words and his brains." He smiled grimly. "The man you described…that's not him." _Let me be right._ Jack forced his grin wider, forcing as much smugness as he could in his words. "You don't have him."

Neumann stared at him for the longest time. He shook his head and looked at the window. "Believe what you want, colonel. If it gets you through the night."

The colonel could read the nervous twitch in Neumann's hands. "It was a nice try, Neumann, but you ain't fooling me twice."

"Wasn't fooling the first time." Neumann grunted, nodding towards the back where the shut doors were. "I left Tobias with Jackson over there." Smirking, Neumann shrugged. "While I don't have any problems with Jackson, she didn't take too kindly to him. Hell, she's been a live wire since we first broke out. Should have broke Andy out with me instead." The smirk grew nasty as Neumann pointed to the doors behind Jack. "She's been begging for me to let her have a…go at your linguist." Neumann shrugged once more. "So…I did…left her alone with him." He laughed low under his breath.

"Someone's going to be very sorry," Jack whispered. Neumann fell silent. He coolly studied Jack. He shook his head, a hint of a smile as he tilted his head towards Jack.

"Looks like someone already is," Neumann laughed as Jack glowered at him.


	25. False Move

"Major!"

Davis didn't stop as he turned for the corner.

"Major Davis!"

Pausing, the liaison halted and turned around. He frowned slightly and his hand slipped to the back of his slacks.

A red-faced tech panted as he jogged up to Davis. "We just got in the taps on the phones, sir. Sorry they were late. Had a tough time trying to get our tracking reports for some reason." The tech was practically dancing in place, excited. "A call came in a few minutes ago, too! We hadn't read all of the details of the call yet. I thought I better get it over to you or Major Carter as quick as I could." A stack of papers waved at Davis.

Major Davis lowered his hand and smiled, accepting the report. "Thank you, Lieutenant," he scanned the nametag. "Vant. I'll bring these to the major myself." Davis tilted his head at him. "Dismissed."

The technician looked disappointed that the major hadn't reacted in the same level as he did. Muttering a goodbye, the tech left Davis standing in the hallway.

Checking around the hall, Davis calmly entered a nearby room, an empty bunk no on was using at the moment. Quickly, he scanned the pages until he reached the last one. His gaze narrowed as he read the last few lines, Jackson's number and where he called listed as the most recent transaction. Calmly, he detached the last page off the stapled stack and ripped it up to tiny pieces. He stared at them piled in his palm before flipping his hand down and watch them float down to the wastebasket. Davis rifled through the pages once more, nodding to himself as everything seemed to be in order. Then, he slipped out of the room. Davis spotted Siler walking down the hallways. What was his name again?

"Sergeant," Davis called out. The engineer halted mid-stride and pivoted around towards him questioningly.

"Yes, major?"

"If you see Major Carter," Davis said smoothly, "Would you mind giving these to her? The major had been expecting these. Nothing much to report though."

Siler gave a brisk bob of his head. "Sure. Have to give her our findings from the auxiliary base as well."

"Anything of interest?"

The tall engineer shook his head.

Pretending to sigh, Davis nodded his thanks. He watched Siler head off to the hallways for a long moment before he headed for the elevators. Punching the level he needed, Davis smiled tightly just as the double doors closed.

Sam could see Teal'c's stoic expression off her monitor. While the Jaffa had given nothing away, finding out from the techs that they're still checking, had no new updates on Daniel or the colonel, had been a defeating blow. Teal'c had been pretty much incommunicado the past ten minutes and while the colonel may think Teal'c just doesn't talk much, she had come to read his expressions very well over the years. And the frown told her to leave him alone.

Mentally, she sighed. She had returned to her office, Davis gone, and set out on working the tapes, starting from the hour leading to the attacks. And the reports were right. There were no signs of forced entry. In fact, there weren't even signs of any of the men in the tapes. So how did they get past security? As primitive she had first gauged the auxiliary base to be, she knew in reality, security was very tight, even before they made the new additions to accommodate such a load of prisoners.

"Final tape they had, basically the last few minutes before the break-in," she murmured as she slid the last tape in. Sam stretched out, her neck aching from staying in one position for too long. "Teal'c, maybe you should stay with General Hammond and help out with the interrogations." She kneaded one knot on her shoulder.

"I do not agree," rumbled Teal'c.

Surprised, she turned around.

The dark alien frowned. It sent a cold shiver down her spine. "It would be for their safety I do not participate in the interrogations."

Now Sam frowned. "You mean the general?"

"No…the prisoners."

Oh-okay. As her CO would put it, someone was having a very bad day. Recalling how the general had accidentally slammed the phone down too hard when one lead resulted in just wasting minutes, **everyone** was having a very bad day.

_Most of all, the colonel and Daniel_, she thought as she fiddled with the controls. Images whizzed by. Sam straightened as she spotted two men in black jumpsuits. Another one, walking up ahead in the desert camouflage uniform everyone at the auxiliary was wearing, leading the way. What the? She rewound the tape to a few seconds before that. Sure enough, at the camera angle before, three men were nodding to a guard, who gave them a quick glance and waved them through. The three were dressed the same though, the desert camouflage, turning the corner to the first gate. Where were the other two men from before? She tracked the movement until the secondary camera switched over by the secondary gate and then-

"Where did they go?" she blurted out. There were the same two men in the black jumpsuits, the third in the base's colors.

A shadow darkened her screen as Teal'c joined her. "They are not the same people as when they first entered the cells."

Sam nodded. She rewound the tape. Tapping on the glass, she pointed to the two men in question. "There, these two were following him. The guard clearly recognized them, let them pass to the cellblock. So obviously they work on the base. But then…" She paused, waving for the next shot. She freeze frame. Three men, exiting out of the previous corner, had their heads turned away from the surveillance camera. She couldn't even make out a clear profile of any of them. "Here." Sam tapped a finger at the black outfits. "Those were not the same uniforms from before. Not enough time for them to change either." A wave of uneasiness churned in her stomach. "Those look like NID outfits." Sam frowned, remembering. "When Maybourne collaborated the attack to regain control of this base, they had on the same vests, same uniforms." She pointed to the glass with her nail. "I recognized the vest. They had it customized from ours a while back." The major folded her arms and pondered the screen before her. "Good enough proof for me who were involved."

"One remains the same, though," Teal'c noted, pointing a dark finger at the leader of the trio.

Pulling out the reports, Sam flipped quickly through the files of the three missing men. She flipped out one page and pressed it to the monitor next to the leader. A square jawed face, with an extreme buzzcut on the digital photo stared seriously back at them. She compared it to the footage. "There's your missing Ford."

"They match," Teal'c determined. "Yet the other two men were different. How is that so?"

Sam chewed on the pencil she was using. "I don't know. That corner is clean cut, goes from one hallway to the next. There's no room there. Doesn't branch off to any other corridors. None we saw when we were there." Her brow furrowed. "Didn't Sergeant Kent mentioned something about seeing Ford and then not?"

"An illusion?" Teal'c guessed.

Sam nodded vehemently. "If they were within our organization or NID, they would have the same access to our—" Her eyes widened. "Those evidence bags we brought back. The one with the colored glass we found. Where are-"

A clear ziplock bag swayed serenely in front of her. Sam smiled for the first time since the whole ordeal. "You read my mind."

Teal'c replied with only an arched eyebrow.

Opening the bag, Sam spilled its contents to a space on her desk. The shards tinkled as they landed but they didn't break. "Let's see…judging how the edges are, they seem to be from a round object, maybe a disc?" She moved some of the pieces around, shook her head and moved some back. "Great, I was never really good at these puzzle things…" After a few frustrating attempts, she sighed and sat back. "What does that look like to you?"

The Jaffa tilted his head forward and studied the circular outline the device made. "It does seem familiar." Teal'c gave a long "Hm" as he thought it over. "They appear to be the devices the aliens wore who infiltrated the SGC."

Sam snapped her fingers. "You know…you're right! That's why they seem so familiar to me! I had seen one up close only once, after I escaped and met up with Colonel Maybourne." She grimaced at the name. "It's almost like a portable hologram projection device. Now we were able to figure out how they were able to download the images into the device using that large carrier machine they had where they stored all their victims. But how…" She stared at the pieces, expecting them to rearrange themselves to some form of an answer.

Teal'c didn't sound too happy. "If they were able to adapt a Goa'uld communications globe as O'Neill had reported, they may have well been able to do the same with this device."

"Which means," breathed Sam, "NID could have been out there, walking around under our noses all this time. And we would have never known. That's how they got past the guards. They must have gotten some of the base staff and, I don't know, downloaded their images." She waved at the shards in disgust. "Then NID walked right into the auxiliary and no one stopped them."

"It would appear then," Teal'c growled, "perhaps they may do the same here."

Sam shook her head. "We installed those sound wave generators, remember? Once they step through the Stargate back here, they get turned on. The devices would shut down the moment they arrive in the embarkation room. They wouldn't have gotten past us."

"Had they attempted to enter through the means of our Stargate," rumbled Teal'c in a low voice.

She stared at Teal'c. "You're thinking another mole? Here? Besides Makepeace?"

The alien stood there, his lips pressed together, clearly unhappy with the possibility. "Perhaps."

Gathering up the shards, Sam poked at them. "Would explain how they knew where the prisoners were being transported." The more she thought about it, the more troubled she grew. "Come on, we better check the labs. I know we still have the visual files of everything we had cataloged over at Area 51. Let's compare these with this." Abruptly, she rose from her seat, shards in hand. Sure enough, Teal'c followed.


	26. Time Control

Daniel wasn't alone.It was a vague sensation. Something tickling the back of his mind- of movement, of sound, off his field of perception. Daniel whipped around, ducking behind a dead tree log, pressing his belly into the moist ground and lowered his head. Briefly, he wondered if he should hold his breath and almost grunted in disgust at the thought.

_Although_, Daniel thought as he saw shadows wavering up ahead the slope,_ you never know._ Apprehensively, he watched as more shadows were creeping up the hill. Was it help? Daniel was wary of leaping out from his hiding place right about now. Could Davis have sent help that quickly?

Cautiously, Daniel began to raise his head, to try and get a closer look when he heard the spark of a walkie-talkie come to life. Quickly, he ducked his head. It sounded pretty close.

"All the windows are boarded up in the back."

"Only entrance and exit is the front door then."

Daniel nearly started as a voice replied low, so close to where he was. The person, in fact, was standing a few feet in front of him. Oh boy. Daniel now did hold his breath. Well, at least clamped his mouth shut.

The radio cackled back. "We sure about the coordinates?"

Footsteps shuffled in place. Daniel found himself hugging the ground, wishing the depression the sunken log made was deeper. He pressed his head close to the bottom of the tree trunk, breathing in air scented of damp wood and dry leaves. His nose began to itch. Frantically, he tried to stifle it, silently chanting _don't see me, don't see me._ The skin on the back of his hands crawled. Somehow, Daniel knew this wasn't the help he asked Major Davis for.

The person shifted position again, leaves rustling as his body brushed by them. The man was walking ahead again. He stopped and Daniel was sure he was looking at his surroundings. He felt exposed, his clothing too bright, even his head. Daniel held onto the dirt, not daring to move.

"Sir?" the radio crackled again.

After a pause—God, Daniel was positive he was looking this way! -the person responded back.

"Only structure around the location of that last phone call." The speaker paused, spitting out something. Daniel made a face. "Sighted some activity inside. Put on your infrareds."

The radio made a popping sound of static. "…our man certain?"

A short laugh. "Jackson called in and practically pointed at the map where they are." Another spit and the man continued. "Our guy's sure. He's been putting blocks around the wire taps so we get our info first. Fresh off the satellites. Jackson's call originated from here." Another laugh. "Beats pounding the haystack looking for the damn needle."

Daniel stiffened. Alarmed, cautiously he reached back and pulled out the cellphone. The light blinking indicated it was still on. He frantically shut off the connection. Daniel closed his eyes, pressing the phone to his forehead. God, what had he done? He thought…

"…think we spotted the jeep…Four hundred, maybe six hundred meters from where you are." The radio crackled, louder than the voices themselves. "…see someone…in jeep…readying to converge on your signal…"

"Okay." Any amusement vanished and it was back to business again. "We need to verify how many are in the cabin first. You sure you only see one in the jeep?"

"Yes, sir."

"Probably Jackson. Our man told him to stay put." A long pause before he spoke again in a brisk voice. "We have our orders- complete expurgation of all possible loose ends." A gun softly clicked in the night. Daniel ducked lower and stared at the crack on the tree log.

"Don't give them any warnings. Cut them down fast. No survivors. Do you read me?"

There was no hesitation. "Copy that."

Daniel turned his head, realizing he had to do something. His heart was hammering close to his chest as he looked at the phone in his hand. Cautiously, he raised his head. He could see the broad back, garbed in black, standing with the same type of rifle Jack carried on missions.

At the thought of Jack, Daniel's blood grew cold. The older man was in the cabin, most likely oblivious to the new danger. God, what did he do? Daniel rubbed his forehead against the rough bark of the log. His eyes widened.

_"Hell, heard they even found some of those hologram devices. You know? The ones that made Carter look like you, me like an alien, no, make that the alien looking like me. They must have been swiping stuff for themselves for months."_

Daniel remembered coming to, waking up to the reassuring gruff tones of Jack's voice, finding himself surrounded by a few dozen other men and women waking up.

_"So Sam came in looking like—er…me?" Daniel looked around the infirmary uneasily. He rubbed his arm with a wince, remembering how the needle seemed to stab right through his arm before everything went dark._

_"Carter!" Jack whistled sharply at Sam, who promptly tossed him the bag holding the round coppery colored disk. He waggled his brow at Daniel. He unzipped the plastic bag and held up the item between his thumb and index finger. "Watch this. Really cool if you think about it." He attached it just under his collar bone and-_

_"Wow!" Daniel blurted out as he stared at Jack, no, __**himself**__, in the checkered shirt he kept in the lab for when he changed out of his fatigues. Amazed, he poked at Jack and watched his own face grinned._

_"Colonel O'Neill!" Hammond's voice made both of himself jump. "What in God's name are you doing with those things out of quarantine?"_

Daniel bit his lower lip. Was it really Davis he spoke to on the phone? Jack did mention the rogues had a few of them in their possession. What if it wasn't just them? The entire base was infiltrated that time. Daniel's eyes blurred as he thought of how many of those devices were left behind when the aliens escaped. How many were scavanged from the aliens' bodies?

No time to think about it. Daniel observed the shadows with their hunched backs, creeping up ahead towards the cabin. All that mattered was he screwed up, called for help, and the wrong person answered.

Daniel could hear small cracking sounds of twigs breaking, footsteps in growing numbers fading from his left and right. They were circling to the front of the cabin. Desperate, Daniel checked his options. He can't make another call. He didn't know who was in the base any more to trust. Sam…should he try call Sam again? No, last time, Davis, or someone sounding like Davis, had intercepted the call. Daniel gritted his teeth. He couldn't go back to the jeep because they're getting ready to surround that, too.

He looked down on the phone he held. He was tempted to bash the device on the ground. No, wait…

Eyeing the slope inclining below him, Daniel tested the weight of the phone in his hands once more. Then, his jaw set, Daniel threw it down as hard as he could in an angle, keeping his head down.

The phone sailed for a distance before finally crashing off to the side, cracking as it struck rock. The LED light up for a moment followed the sound of crystal breaking, a bright square in endless shades of black, then fluttered back to darkness.

Almost immediately, the person in front of Daniel was speaking into his phone. "Tango one, did you hear that?"

The walkie-talkie snapped back to life. "Saw a light, maybe six, eight meters seven o'clock."

"Everyone stay your position. Do not approach the cabin yet."

Daniel curled up as tight as possible, praying the tree and its surrounding brush was concealing him as footsteps hushed past him. After a few moments of silence, Daniel edged up the log and looked around. No one was around. The person with the radio was gone, too.

Daniel sagged against the log, but only for a moment before he straightened up again. He stared at the cabin, closer now, light from between the boards beckoned him.

He have to hurry.

Turning at the call of her name, Sam saw Siler jogging up to her down the corridor. Like her, the engineer had a rumpled appearance, clothing looked slept in if there was any sleep at all, a definite lag of pace in his trot. Siler looked how Sam knew many felt right now- tired, yet too wired to really sleep.

"Tech finally got reports back on all the calls made from Doctor Jackson and Colonel O'Neill's phones," Siler explained.

Sam leafed through the paperwork, nodding as she saw Siler and Simmon's reports on their findings from the cellblock were included. Nothing of real importance, nuts…no activity on Daniel's number recently…Sam sighed. After the last check they made, there had been a call, over a day ago. She had hoped- Her shoulders slumped.

"Major?" Siler was still standing there, waiting. Sam grimaced. Seemed like all they could do was wait.

"Thanks," she murmured. Siler silently bobbed his head, excusing himself before he left. Sam glumly gave Teal'c the paperwork. "Nothing of use here."

Teal'c tipped his head, reminding her in a quiet voice. "The shards." There was no reproach in his tone as he gestured towards the bag she still held in her hands.

"Oh geez," Sam muttered. "Come on." Giving the stack of paper a regretful glance, she headed towards the elevators. As she slid her ID card in the reader and waited for a car, she spared another glance at the paperwork. Silently, Teal'c handed them over. "There has to be something here," she murmured to herself. She refused to think with all their resources, they couldn't find a single clue.

Sam didn't even realize the doors had opened. It took a steady hand from Teal'c, guiding her into the compartment before Sam realized they were already in the elevator. As the doors closed, she still had her eyes glued to the reports, desperately searching for anything.


	27. Promotion

"Face it, O'Neill. Jackson's history."

Neumann chuckled, his hands a twitching pair around the rifle. The rogue kept glancing out between the nailed boards to the window. His foot tapped up and down like a seesaw hinting at his growing anxiety. Tobias'd been gone too long. Even Jack could tell that. "History. Get it? Your gravedigger is history. How apt." Neumann laughed again, an edge bordering near hysteria made it high-pitched.

Jack bit back a retort, pushed back the nagging fear that his instincts may be wrong, that Neumann wasn't bluffing. No…Jack wasn't going to accept it. Not until he saw a…Jack resisted the urge to swallow the sour taste filling his throat. He chose to glare at Neumann instead.

"You really don't believe me," Neumann said, amazed. The rogue waved his rifle at Jack. "Refuse to take responsibility for your actions? For what you did to us?"

"Neumann, you guys did this to yourselves," Jack barked back. "You took on the operation and it went sour. Nobody's fault but your own."

Snorting, Neumann began to pace. "We were doing fine. We got so far with this mission. Do you realize how many teams risked their lives for this ungrateful planet?" Neumann looked about ready to use the rifle on Jack. His face turned red. "You can't tell me you guys didn't want the technology out there!"

"This wasn't the way to get it."

Jack opened his mouth, then shut it. He hadn't said that! He saw Neumann's face drained of all its color. Tracking the shocked gaze, Jack twisted around.

"Daniel!" Jack blurted out, a huge grin spread across his face. He knew it! He knew- Jack's smile faded.

Daniel stood at the doorway Jack had spied before, one hand gripping the edge of a wooden board, the other pointing a very shaky gun at Neumann. Half his face was discolored with bruises, the sweater he was wearing that obviously used to be cream colored, was spotted with brown, black, and shit, was that red, too?

The rifle in Neumann's hands went up. "Nice to see you back with us, Jackson. Now drop the gun." It swung towards Jack. "Don't need me to say anything more on why, do I?" Neumann smirked. "You're a smart guy, Jackson. You do the math."

Jack glared at Neumann.

"You don't want to do this." Daniel sounded like he was far away. Jack's brow puckered with concern. Daniel didn't sound too good. Hell, he didn't **look** too good. "You're being surrounded."

"Oh?" drawled Neumann. "Let me guess…you fought off Tobias, ran like hell all the way back to town, and got the Marines on us?"

"Almost." Wispy words escaped Daniel's lips like a sigh. The archeologist made a physical effort to stand up taller. The wooden plank Daniel was holding for some reason, dropped from his grip and landed on the floor with a thump. "They're surrounding the cabin right now. I would suggest…standing by that window isn't a good idea either."

Neumann laughed. He bobbed his head towards Jack. "Not much of a bluffer, huh? Bet he must suck at poker."

Glowering at him, Jack stood up to his feet.

"Colonel, I didn't give you permission to stand." Neumann's rifle swung from Daniel to Jack. "Jackson, I ain't saying it again. Lower your weapon."

"Neumann, listen to me…" Daniel waved a hand weakly at the walls. "You are being surrounded."

Jack studied Daniel, reading the urgency in the faint words. He tensed, his hands behind his back were wiggling, trying to loosen the knots now with growing urgency. "Daniel, these guys…I take it they're not…"

Daniel answered the question before Jack could finish. "No…they're not."

Neumann was growing angrier, his rifle now pointed back at Daniel. "It's not working, Jackson. I don't know what you did with Tobias, but if you think for one second I am going to believe you were able to get help from—"

Something crashed through the window, shattering glass before it hit the wooden boards with a thud. Everyone jumped, except for Daniel.

"Told you," Daniel whispered.

A shot rang out.

Jack jerked, half-expecting to find a bullet hole on his chest. He looked down, but that was all the time he had before another shot rang out and glass shattered. Neumann spun around, shouting, just as the wood on the window he had been holding vigil over exploded in shards of glass and wood.

"Son of a—" Neumann thrusted his rifle out the window and began firing into the night. The rogue ducked as someone returned fire. "O'Neill! You did this!" His eyes blazed as he twisted around to Jack. "I told you to come alone!"

"Wasn't me!" Jack shouted back, stumbling back as one stray shot struck the edge of his boot. Crap! "I didn't call anyone! They're probably **your** friends from the auxiliary!"

Hands grabbed at Jack's binds. Jack started, finding himself looking at anxious glazed eyes.

"Are you okay?" Daniel gasped out.

Jack mutely nodded, feeling Daniel's hands feebly tugging at his binds. The colonel tried to help as much as he could, stretching his wrists as wide as he could to loosen the coils. He could see Neumann, furious, firing back through the window, jerking away to avoid the enemy fire. Neumann spun around, his angry gaze fell on him and Daniel. Jack tensed, stepping up to block Daniel.

"You did this!" Neumann shouted, crouched down under the window. More glass shattered in adjacent windows. The rogue pointed the rifle at them. "O'Neill, I'm going to make you pa-"

An explosion took out the far window on the wall completely. Jack shouted as the percussion thrown him back into Daniel. The two men tumbled to the floor in a tangled heap.

Small globes sailed in from the outside. Neumann swore, shuffling away as smoke began to spew out of them.

"Tear gas!" Jack shouted. He felt ropes fall away. He was free! Spinning around, Jack grabbed a startled Daniel by the shoulders. "How did you get in?"

"Back there," Daniel coughed, tears streaming down unchecked on his face. Hacking, bent double, he weakly pointed to the open doorway. "The boards were loose. No one was covering there because of the boards—"

"Neumann!" Jack grabbed Daniel firmly by the arm. He was not going to leave Daniel behind in the chaos. He swore under his breath, curling his hand tighter around Daniel, bringing him in closer. "Neumann!"

The rogue sharply turned to Jack. The colonel motioned towards him. Pointing to the doorway, Jack started dragging Daniel towards it. "Come on!" The rogue spun around and fired a shot. Jack wrenched Daniel roughly to him and threw themselves bodily into the room. The shot flew by. Wood exploded behind him. "Fine! You can stay here if you want!" Jack struggled to his feet, pulling Daniel up with him.

Neumann grimaced, distrust warring with the instinct to survive. He turned back to the windows, stumbled back a step. With a roar, he fired his rifle at the windows, then abruptly spun around after Jack and Daniel.

"Here," Daniel rasped out. The smoke was irritating their eyes. Tearing, Daniel was squinting at the window. Wooden planks lay on the floor. "I got in through there."

Jack, without another word was already hauling Daniel to the sill, practically shoving Daniel through it. He swung his own leg through the window, about to cross when he heard the door. The wood splintered, groaning as it was being pushed. Neumann was grabbing stuff, God only knows what, into a bag, half-skidding as he stumbled for the same window.

"O'Neill!" Neumann looked murderous. He swung his rifle with one hand at Jack.

"Oh shit," Jack muttered. He practically fell out of the window as a shot zipped past him. He felt something scorched a line across his left thigh. He tumbled over the window, unable to control his descent, landing on something not quite soft. A yelp told him what it was.

"You all right?" Jack asked breathlessly. He could hear the door completely break, Neumann firing at the newcomers. He could see the rogue's back by the window. "Come on," he said, not waiting for Daniel's reply.

A hand grabbed Jack's elbow tightly. "But what about—"

Jack shook his head negatively. He wrapped his fingers around Daniel's wrist, feeling ridiculously pleased to feel the warm hand. With a tug, Jack was half-dragging Daniel deeper into the woods. Didn't matter where they were going, so long it was far away from here.

"There it is," announced Sam. She leaned back in her seat so Teal'c could see. The alien had been standing vigil in the borrowed lab room, which Sam found a tad reassuring, yet meaningless considering no one was around. "We had a few intact from the aliens posing as the colonel, Davis and Daniel." The digital image of the portable hologram device rotated, it's data and whatever schematics they were able to figure from it, scrolled down the screen. Sam tapped on the screen and zoomed in on its edge. "Looks like a pretty good match to me. What do you think?"

"They are the same," the Jaffa agreed.

Sam lifted her eyes up at Teal'c. "So now we know how they got in." She massaged her temples with two fingers. "Which means those AWOL may be dead then. If those guys had to disguise themselves as our missing men, they weren't willing cohorts."

Teal'c concurred, his mouth grim. "And now they have no purpose."

"Damn," murmured Sam. "Teal'c, you don't think the colonel and Daniel are—"

"No, I do not," the Jaffa cut in. "But our time is short." His face hooded in shadow. "We should not be here."

"But where do we look?" Frustrated, she threw up her hands. The chair under her creaked.

"Major Carter?"

Sam spun around on her seat. Lieutenant Vant stood there with a puzzled frown by the doorway.

"Did those reports help?" Vant asked. The young tech juggled with the boxes he was carrying.

Her brow puckered before she remembered. "The traces? Not much, actually." She gave a loud sigh. "I appreciate it though, lieutenant."

Vant's frown deepened. "Really? I thought the last call might have helped you out."

"It was too long ago," Sam patted the stack of papers. "And since we didn't have a tracking link set up then, all we would know are the numbers he'd called, which was the colonel's."

"Too long ago?" The tech lowered his boxes to the nearby table. "But it was only less than an hour ago."

"What?" Sam grabbed the report from Teal'c and rummaged through the pages again. "Last one I had was 0840."

Vant peered over her shoulder. "Oh, you don't have the last page." He tsked. "Clark probably forgot to attach it. Sorry about that, major. Here, let me pull it up from this terminal." Vant slipped around her and sat down on the computer. With a few clicks, Vant was into the system. "Shouldn't be a few seconds."

"Every second counts," whispered Sam. The tech didn't hear her, but Teal'c did. She felt a brief touch on her shoulder as she stood there anxiously, waiting for the screen to pull the report up.


	28. Zeitnot

Jack kept one eye on the trail he was making, one eye over his shoulder. The mountain surrounded them in the distance, trees tall as some buildings loomed over, whispering, rustling as the wind blew by.

It had been nearly thirty minutes since they'd escaped the cabin. Hopefully, they had a good head start judging from the distant gunfire and fading sounds of running, Neumann and the- crap, what do he call them? Sure as hell wasn't their men. NID? Maybe. Maybourne hightailed it out of there the minute the operation gone sour. Or worse, maybe within the NID? Shit. Could be. He felt like everything was modeled on an onion- peeling and peeling, and never finishing the layer.

Originally, Jack was heading downhill, steering for what he hoped was where his jeep was. But before he could proceed halfway down the incline, he felt an insistent tug from Daniel, whose wrist Jack for some reason couldn't let go just yet. Daniel's eyes were huge in the dark, his head shaking a negative. Jack at first wanted to argue the jeep was the best possibility, but then he heard more distant gunfire. This time in the direction downhill where the jeep apparently was located. Daniel's tugging stopped. The message was clear. The jeep wasn't an option any more.

Rolling back his shoulders, Jack winced. He hadn't had time to check his leg. Every so often, he felt a pull, a muscle spasm, a hot line of agony that snapped his awareness to a thin edge. But Jack didn't want to stop. Not yet. Not until he could hear the gunfire even farther away. So long it let him moved, didn't drop him to the rocky terrain, Jack deemed it fine, endured it with tightly clenched teeth. Doctor Fraiser would probably have something to say about his medical opinion, but hell, she wasn't here, right?

Jack couldn't believe he was wishing Fraiser **was** here right now. He wouldn't mind the petite doctor making them a house visit right about now. He glanced down at his silent companion. Daniel had yet to say anything except for telling Jack in a clipped voice about him making a call to Davis and on finding NID agents ambushing the cabin. Jack tried to press for more details, like how Daniel got the phone, how he managed to get away, but Daniel only shook his head, looked around anxiously at the woods and yanked Jack's hand in silent insistence. So Jack let his questions fall silent for now and prowled behind Daniel, weaving a zigzag line through the woods, choosing the boulder-strewn topography rather than the straight grassy hillsides to avoid detection.

The colonel felt compelled to keep one hand close to reach near his friend, always pulling at the worse-for-wear sweater to signal the younger man to slow down. Daniel was shaking, almost looking torn from running and falling.

Abruptly, Daniel stumbled. Jack reached out to catch him. The younger man tried to compensate by pulling away to stand up. But he only succeeded in slamming into a nearby tree. Jack caught a flash of white as Daniel gritted his teeth against the pain. Jack winced in sympathy. Looked like it hurt like hell. He wished they could stop, but right now, distance was the order of things.

"Come on," Jack whispered, slipping his arm around Daniel's waist. "Just a bit further." He gritted his teeth as he felt Daniel breathe in abruptly. Jack adjusted his arm but it didn't seem to help as he felt another sharp intake of breath. Daniel shuffled away, his shoulders hunched forward.

_"Nice, huh? Jackson didn't seem to care for it too much before either."_

Jack pressed his lips together in anger. Brow creased with worry, Jack looked down at the bowed head. "You going to make it?"

Daniel gave a silent nod, teeth biting down on his lower lip to keep quiet.

Jack squeezed the hand draped over his other shoulder. "We'll stop in a bit, okay?" he promised quietly.

"'Kay."

Resolved, Daniel stood up straighter, gave Jack a small incline of his head and they slipped back into the under brush, carefully to avoiding making any loud noises.

While Jack knew the mountainside was treacherous, a hard trail to take even if they weren't both injured, the shelter and cover its wilderness provided was necessary.

A few more minutes and Jack decided they really needed to stop before the slope they were working on became a daunting precipice that dropped off the cliffs edge to the river below. Even if his leg wasn't killing him, burning with each step he took, the ragged sounds Daniel was swallowing back was signal enough for him to call for a break.

Jack chose the cluster of trees twisted around a pile of boulders, creating a shadowy alcove under the mountain. Jack could hear the faint sounds of the river Daniel told him about. One more look behind them, Jack made his decision and gave Daniel's hand a squeeze to tell him they were stopping.

The younger man didn't protest, adding to Jack's concern that his injuries weren't as slight as he first claimed. Daniel practically sank to the ground the moment Jack let go, landing on his hip before struggling to sit up.

"No," Jack murmured softly, one hand on Daniel's side to keep him still. "Just rest. We'll move in a few minutes, okay?"

Blue eyes opened warily, looking at him for a moment before Daniel reluctantly nodded. With a barely suppressed groan, Daniel settled against the rough stone, hunched shoulders forward as he curled up on his side.

Several minutes passed and Jack watched as the breathing eventually slowed and sleep came reluctantly for the archeologist. Absently, he patted Daniel's arm wrapped around his own stomach, his hand drifting down to the tear on the sweater he spied earlier. Daniel murmured a protest and curled tighter within himself. With a sigh, Jack settled closer to him, his right hip close to Daniel's back and found the warm proximity helped ease his unsettling stomach. Jack pressed the heel of both hands over his eyes, burning with fatigue. He leaned back against the rock as well, eyeing the night sky as he tried to find his bearings.

Normally, Neumann and Tobias really wouldn't have been a problem. Physically, Jack and Daniel combined would have had the better advantage, even though Daniel's hand to hand had been limited to the bag of sand in the gym.

But add a few sore muscles, a physically and emotionally beaten down archeologist, two very pissed off soldiers with two guns and who know's what else on their side, and hell, a bunch of men in black fatigues not caring **which** team they hit, and Jack knew the odds were against them this time. The handgun Daniel had with him was tucked into Jack's waistband, but its presence felt small and inadequate when Jack weighed their odds.

This really, really sucked.

Can they go home now?

Jack gazed down at Daniel, noting the furrow between the eyebrows flickering even in sleep. Tentatively, he brushed the fringe back with two fingers, feeling for fever. Daniel turned away from the contact with a face, growing restless before he settled back down. Relieved he didn't find any, Jack frowned nevertheless at the touch of clammy skin, remembering the shivers he could feel under his touch. He looked down ruefully at his own clothes, his jacket not enough to ward off the approaching night and shivered as if suddenly realizing how cold it was here.

It was already cold for Jack when he had left his house, even with his jacket on. Now, it was practically frigid, the white vapors wafting out of his mouth making it seem even colder. Jack rubbed his arms up and down, flexing his hands, thankful he had on at least both the sweater and the shirt.

Daniel stirred, head shaking no as he shuddered. But Jack doubted it was from the cold. The younger man shifted, wincing in sleep as he fought whatever monsters in his dreams.

Reaching out a hand, Jack settled his warmer palm against Daniel's cheek, jerking it back when Daniel flinched on contact. Taken aback by the instinctive reflex from Daniel, Jack tentatively shook Daniel's shoulder instead, to wake him.

Daniel sat up with a start, sending Jack rocking back to get out of his way.

Chest heaving, Daniel whipped his head left and right, gasping harshly until his eyes met Jack. To Jack's dismay, the archeologist didn't relax, only nodding curtly at him before leaning back gingerly at the log. Daniel wiped a shaky hand across his face, gulping in deep breaths.

"You were having a bad dream," Jack whispered, scanning the slope beyond them when he heard a coyote howl in the distance.

"Shouldn't have fallen asleep," Daniel muttered. He looked over to Jack with a bit of resentment. "Shouldn't have let me fall asleep."

"You needed the rest." Jack carefully considered his companion. "Looked like you needed a lot of rest." An unspoken invitation to tell him what happened hung in the air.

"You don't exactly look great yourself," Daniel countered. The tight lines around his mouth faded as he gave Jack his own scrutiny. "How's the leg?"

Jack patted his left thigh. "Still attached," he quipped.

Daniel didn't appear to find it funny. He sat there, staring at the ground, his left hand wrapped around his right forearm.

"So what happened?" the colonel asked in a low voice. He kept his eyes glued towards the direction they came from. "I get a call from Neumann, saying he got you last night, but…" He trailed off, waiting.

Daniel's face burned with the memory. "I was driving. This car came out of nowhere." He closed his eyes and swallowed convulsively. "So stupid…trap…"

"Hey," Jack tried to reach over to Daniel, but the archeologist turned a shoulder away. Jack pulled back, his hand falling empty. "No way you could have seen it coming, right?"

Daniel grimaced. "Jack," Daniel rasped, the warning clear even in the weak tone. He didn't want to talk about it. About anything. Daniel sighed and leaned back into the rock, hissing as he tried to get comfortable.

Crestfallen, Jack pretended he was mapping out the night sky. He was able to pull out one or two constellations and nodded to himself. If they keep heading the same direction they were in and follow the river, they should be able to find a way out. He twisted around to tell Daniel when he noticed Daniel wincing, his hand now protectively over his abdomen. "Bad?"

Daniel didn't look at him. "A little. Side hurts."

Jack scooted over, aware of the wariness tracking him as he did. "Let me see." He reached over, pulling at the sweater and shirt. Jack's lips peeled back as he caught a glimpse of angry red and purple on pale skin. "Those god damn-"

Daniel automatically placed his hand over the sore spot, twisting away from Jack's examinations, his palm pressed flat against the hem of his shirt. "It's fine." With some difficulty, Daniel got up by clawing on the boulder he was resting against. "We better move. I'm okay."

Jack watched him for a long moment, noting how the archeologist swayed, one hand still on the rockface. "You said before you saw some small openings along the cliffs by the river, right?"

Mutely, Daniel nodded. He leaned heavily on the tree trunk, his eyes shut.

"Okay, we'll camp out there."

His eyes flew open. "Jack, I told you, I'm fine. We need to get back to the base. Sam…they don't know there's still a mole there. Paul, no, someone looking like Paul. He may try and—"

Jack raised his hand, stopping Daniel. "Carter's a hell of a smart cookie, Daniel. She'll figure it out."

"Good. **Someone** should," Daniel murmured, self-recrimination distorting his pale face.

"What?" Jack got up, extending his arm once more to offer support.

Daniel forced himself to straighten. "Nothing," he grated out before his gaze wandered over to the torn pants leg. Jack could see the concern slipping over the stubbornness warring in Daniel's face. Literally, he could see Daniel berating himself and actually took a step back, refusing Jack's hand. He hobbled a bit, testing his balance before muttering "Can walk on my own. Let's go."

Jack opened his mouth, then shut it again into a grim line. He trailed behind Daniel only after checking their resting spot to make sure nothing was left behind.


	29. Pawn Decision

General Hammond folded his arms and sighed. He stared down at the glass, at the stubborn prisoner sitting calmly in the room below. Makepeace didn't make eye contact with him, nor did he attempt to make any conversation. The seasoned soldier sat there, on his chair, looking stoically at the wall in front of them.

"Colonel," Hammond began once more.

"General, with all due respect, don't waste your breath." Makepeace lifted his chin and gazed at his former commanding officer.

"Colonel O'Neill and Doctor Jackson are out there, Colonel Makepeace," Hammond reminded him. "They may be in grave danger."

"Colonel O'Neill knew the risks when he put on the uniform, sir."

Hammond leaned forward to the microphone. "And Doctor Jackson?"

Makepeace paused.

"Colonel, they're not your enemy. None of us are." The general set his hands on the counter, ignoring Davis and Jones occupying the booth with him. The major had entered, asking to observe the proceedings. Not that there was anything to watch. Hammond's neck cramped from the long hours. "Colonel, we both have a shared enemy."

"Which you are losing against because of your policies." Folding his arms, Makepeace sat straight at attention, his back stiff. Some habits were hard to break. "General, you and I both know we had some close calls. There were times we barely made it. Apophis, Hathor, the Retu." Each name he counted down to, his jaw tightened, white teeth a slit between his lips. "Sooner or later, sir, a bigger fish is going to bite back and we'll have no defenses against them."

"And you believe the direction you and Maybourne took was the right way?" Hammond watched Makepeace shrugged.

"Better than waiting around for whatever scraps the Tok'ra and the Tollan toss at us."

Davis muttered something that almost sounded like a snicker, but it couldn't have been. Hammond cast a puzzled look over to the Pentagon liaison, who covered his mouth and coughed.

"Sorry, general."

Shaking his head, Hammond faced the glass. "Colonel, all we ask is you provide us any possible locations where Neumann or Tobias may have secreted Colonel O'Neill and Doctor Jackson."

"You know if I tell you that I implement myself in this whole affair." Grunting, Makepeace broke eye contact. Setting his jaw, Makepeace fell silent.

"This isn't going anywhere," Hammond told Davis, the frustration audible in the general's voice. The liaison stood there in the shadows. "I need you to get me the Joint Chiefs of Staff on the phone. They need to be updated on what's been going on."

"Perhaps I should try?" Davis offered. "Maybe he would talk to me? He knows my connection with the Joint Chiefs. Perhaps if he thinks we can settle a plea bargain- Now I don't mean there will be one," Davis placate the general with open palms. "But maybe if he believes it, he may talk."

Hammond frowned at the idea. "You're talking about entrapment, major."

"Not if we keep it very vague it won't. Let him make his own conclusions."

The general shook his head. "No. I don't like it. We'll have to try another way-"

"But really, general. I **insist**."

A click spun Hammond around. He found himself staring at the end of a Glock. Davis coolly shook his head at Jones, who was gripping the armrests, prepared to launch himself at him.

"I wouldn't recommend it, sergeant," Davis warned. "Not if you want to explain to Washington how the general got shot right in front of you."

"What the hell?" Hammond exploded. "What is going on here?"

"A little early spring cleaning, general," Davis murmured. He eyed the window. Makepeace was on his feet, staring at Davis with dark eyes. "Sorry, colonel. You understand of course."

Makepeace opened his mouth to say something when the doors opened. The colonel spun around and glared at the two new soldiers silently pointing their weapons at him. He pivoted around again and gazed up to Davis.

Davis only offered a small smile. "I have my orders." His mouth hardened. The gun didn't waver as he directed at Hammond.

"I'm sorry, general. I'm afraid we must ask for your resignation on this project effectively immediately."

_"We should have just grabbed Carter or the alien. Either one of them would have gotten us a good price. We could have used them to bargain with. Screw the Stargate."_

_"You think we would have been able to get either of them with what we had? Carter's doing inventory of our stuff, damn Jaffa is off playing Mr. Cleaver. Jackson was our best bet to get O'Neill over here. We need them both, Tobias. Jackson was the best lure we could get at our current resources."_

The trees were laughing at him.

Daniel blearily looked at the greenery twist and waver before him, limbs pointing at him, mocking his attempts to stay upright. He could hear the same river, or creek, at this point, he didn't care- all he knew was there was water running out there. His back ached with the idea of having to climb down the steep incline to the river again. However, he understood Jack's thinking. Better go downhill along the river than wander around lost, possibly running into those men, Neumann or—

Tobias.

His knees wobbled, but thankfully they stayed upright. He would never live it down if he passes out right here. Jack shouldn't be burdened with carrying him around. Not when there are more urgent things at hand.

"Almost there. See a rockface that looks easy to go down on." A callused hand wrapped around Daniel's wrist. "Watch your step."

_Couldn't even walk out of here without help_, Daniel thought, dispirited. And Jack was back to the guilty mother hen mode again, acting as if he owed Daniel.

Owed.

Not much room for friendship there, then.

_"Apparently not much of a foundation there, huh?"_

_Apparently not_, Daniel thought, a bitter taste in his mouth. A foundation built on some principle to watch out for the weak wasn't a steady stand to uphold a friendship.

Speaking of unsteady.

Daniel's knees buckled as he tottered over uneven ground. He'd tried hiding it but leaning against one of the sneering trees, pretending to take a breather. At Jack's stop, the silent inquiry over his shoulder, Daniel took a gulp of air and stood up.

Only to sag forward, crashing against one of those laughing trees.

Hands caught him, slowing his fall, an echoing grunt when he did after the ground rushed up to him unkindly. Breathless, winded, Daniel felt the pins and needles on his chest and side return once more with a vengeance. He moaned, unable to stop himself when the hands pulled at his arm, bringing him back on his feet, but also igniting a dull burn into fire.

"Sorry," muttered Jack as he lowered Daniel further, supporting him against his shoulder. The grey head swiveled left and right. "Want to rest here for a bit? We're almost to the cliffs."

"No," Daniel croaked out between cracked lips. "We should keep moving."

Daniel could feel the pause stilling the chest under his head. "You sure?" the whisper asked close to his ear.

To prove it, Daniel pushed away from Jack. He was gratified to find himself standing, although he couldn't remember how he did. See? Not a burden. Not some weak link. Not some pawn for bait-

Daniel didn't feel a thing when he sagged forward, Jack's arm barely catching him in time before the ground rushed forward at him.

Damn it.

Jack felt his own leg stiffen as he fell to his knees, driven down by the added dead weight, _shit, bad choice of words_, in his arms.

"Daniel," he whispered, his eyes darting around to make sure no one was around. "Daniel." He gave the archeologist a little shake.

The younger man didn't even moan. Pale blue peeked out from shut lids, head lolled back, Daniel was out.

"Ah hell, big guy. Not quite having fun here, huh?" Jack murmured, his mouth crinkled downward in sympathy. He brushed back the damp fringe on the forehead, noting Daniel's eyes fluttered open for a brief moment at the touch. Okay, not completely out, but not exactly up to climbing any small mountains right now.

With a soft grunt, Jack rose to his feet, pulling Daniel up with him. The archeologist hung from the arm Jack slipped around his own shoulder, head drooped down to his chest.

"Okay, buddy, we're going to go for a walk, alright?" Jack wheezed.

Daniel only replied with his head bobbing when Jack readjusted his grip.

"I'll take that as a yes, then," Jack muttered. The colonel scanned the rise he spied, a small overhang that smoothed out to the cliff over the river. Hm. Good decent amount of cover, behind the treeline, good view of the river in case bad guys decide to come around from the bottom. Jack nodded to himself. A few carefully placed branches, some woven cover and it should do fine for a few hours of rest.

"What ya say?" Jack asked the unaware man he supported. Painfully hobbling towards the rock face, Jack took great care to step on the rocky surface rather than the dirt. Makes wiping out their tracks much easier later. "A little table, maybe some curtains, be just like home."

Daniel moaned softly, his head rolling to the side and struck Jack's shoulder before dropping down to bounce off his own chest. The younger man scrunched up his nose, but didn't awake. Gently, Jack raised a hand, cradling the chin and carefully steering it towards a more comfortable spot on his shoulder.

Worry gnawed in Jack's gut. Daniel was out too long now. He hated trying to move his friend. Hell, he hated the fact they were kinda empty handed except for the gun Daniel still didn't say where he got and the clothes on their backs.

Reaching the spot, Jack allowed a tight smile when he realized not only the area was pretty well concealed, there was even a small depression, maybe about four or five feet of space cut into the rock from thousands of years of erosion. Perfect. If only everything else would fall into place like that.

Carefully, Jack pulled Daniel closer to him and slipped into the patch of trees, taking great care not to disturb the natural lay of the land. No twigs broken, or grass too trampled on. The last think Jack needed was a trail for Neumann, Tobias or those guys who did bad imitations of party crashers.

One hand firmly on Daniel's wrist, the other arm gingerly wrapped around the younger man's middle, Jack made his way to the shallow cave. Finally, he eased his friend down until Daniel was sitting up against the back wall of the cavern before he wedged himself into a spot next to him.

Damn, it was cold.

Jack rubbed his hands together and grimaced. The cave, carved out of ancient rock, didn't exactly provide much in heat. In fact, the past days of rain had kept the ground too moist, and the stone bone chilling cold. But it would have to do.

"Remind me to complain to the front desk about our accommodations," Jack muttered, giving Daniel's left shoulder a brief squeeze. He didn't get any reaction again. He reached over and pressed his fingers lightly under Daniel's jaw. Jack exhaled long and deep. Okay, a little on the slow side, but steady.

"Attaboy, Daniel," he murmured. The corner of his mouth twitched as he studied the cave. Returning his attentions back towards Daniel, Jack settled the back of his hand on Daniel's cheek. Still clammy, dry. His brows drew downward. Not good. "Be right back," Jack told him, giving one of the knees a fond pat before he slipped out of the cave. Jack peered through the thicket of trees that doubled as his cover. No one around. He waited a few moments, handling a pebble he picked up in his palm. Counting to ten, Jack tossed it out into the clearing. It bounced on hard rock and made a light, faint tapping sound as it rolled off the edge and down the cliff to the river below.

No one came out to the clearing.

All clear.

Quietly, Jack rose to his feet. He looked back, over his shoulder. He could see Daniel's feet sticking out of the cave. Jack paused. The younger man looked so exposed out in the open.

_But he isn't_, he told himself. _There's plenty of cover here, out of line of sight. You have to get some liquids in him and get some cover for the night. You can't stay here like a lump._

But still.

Concern with priority warred inside. Jack closed his eyes and took a deep breath, his chest expanding out before he let it out slowly.

"Back in a second," Jack whispered and silently slipped out to get what he needed. His eyes kept drifting back to the grove before he slipped deeper into the woods.

Sam barely caught up with Teal'c, who was running full speed down the stairs. Wheezing, she didn't try to stop as she leaped down the last two steps to the landing and made a tight turn to the next set.

_"What the?" Sam stared at the screen. "The last call __**was**__ an hour ago?" She shook the stack as she gawked at the screen over Vant's head. "Why didn't Siler tell me when he gave me this?"_

_"Siler?" Vant looked confused. "I gave those to major Davis." He tapped the keyboard. "Oh, they got the details on the last call." He typed a few more lines and suddenly balked as the screen's lines began to slip away. "What?"_

_Sam pushed the tech aside. "You're losing the data!" She typed as fast as she could, glimpsing at the disappearing lines. "Someone's hacked into the system and deleting everything!"_

_The tech's mouth dropped open, his eyes bulging out. "What? T-that-" He sputtered. "No one can't __**hack**__ into our systems! There's no way! You need a password!"_

_"Then either someone got the password or just found a way," Sam snapped. She struck the keyboard. "We lost it. Everything!" She snatched the pad and pencil Teal'c handed her and scribbled the last line she read before she forget._

"_Could you read the last part?" Vant asked anxiously. The tech was bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Major?"_

_"That's my number," Sam breathed. She only caught the last few digits before they vanished into a single cursor on the black screen. She stared at the last four numbers on the lined paper. "But if they had called my office, why wouldn't-" The pencil clattered to the floor. Sam spun around to Teal'c. "Major Davis. He was already in my office when we got back."_

_"He may not be Major Davis," growled Teal'c._

_Sam didn't say anything, already running out the door, Teal'c bolting right after her._

Shit, shit, shit. She hurriedly clipped the holster to her belt, jumping down two more steps to reach Teal'c. The Jaffa was already opening the exit door, practically ripping it off its hinges.

_"We can't sound the alarm," she panted as Teal'c opened the weapons locker. "Not if Davis is walking around free. No telling what he'll do if he knows his cover is blown." She grabbed a pistol, shoving a clip in as she grabbed a holster. "We get to the general, warn him and have this base locked down."_

_"There already is a weapon missing."_

_Sam froze. "The general."_

_Teal'c nodded gravely. _

They skidded to a halt at corridor nine. Cautiously, she stared around the corner and checked the hallways. The two guards who were manning each end of the temporary interrogation rooms were gone.

"The general's in there with Makepeace," she whispered. Teal'c pursed his lips.

"There is only one entrance to the booth and one to the interrogation room," noted the Jaffa. "Should we enter either one, Davis will see us."

"And he might not be alone," Sam added, waving towards the hallway. "Guards are gone."

"Perhaps a simultaneous attack?" Teal'c suggested.

Sam didn't look happy as she considered it. "You get the interrogation room and I get the booth?" She made a face. Neither one promised to be easy. "Flip a coin?"

Puzzled, Teal'c quirked his eyebrow questioningly. "I do not have any currency, Major Carter."

She tossed a weak smile at him. "Sorry, forget I said that." She rose to her feet. "Let's go. I think I have an idea."

Silently, Sam and Teal'c headed for the doors, both their guns clicking sharply in the quiet hall.


	30. Abandon the Piece

_"You think the colonel would risk his ass to get this civie? Hell, he turned his back on all of them and went on his undercover heroism solo, remember? He's not going to come back here!"_

His entire life, no one ever came back.

But Jack did.

It felt like his eyes were glued shut. Daniel forced them to open and found himself staring at an ant trotting up the wall. What the? "Jack?" he whispered. Daniel blinked in surprise. His throat hurt, be could barely talk.

Opening his eyes further, Daniel realized this wasn't where they had stopped before. No, wait, they left that spot afterwards and…and…Nuts, he couldn't remember. Most likely he passed out. Jack must have really appreciated that.

_Speaking of which…_

He looked around. His brow furrowed as he realized he was in some sort of cave, tucked in, the edge just a scant five feet away. He could hear the river down below but right now, he didn't feel up to peering over the side to verify that. He saw the river up close and personal already, thank you very much. Solid ground, if it would stop moving, was far more appealing at the moment.

Daniel could feel his body shaking. It was so cold. He could see his breath billowing into white puffs before him. Crickets, birds, and the rustling of the trees were the only things he'd heard though. No sounds of Jack, or anyone else for that matter.

_"I've read his file, Tobias. O'Neill won't leave Jackson behind. They're friends—"_

Daniel rubbed his arm absently. He winced as his arm replied with a dull throb. Most likely Jack had left him here to go find help. Make sense. Really.

_"That stuff I was talking about...at my house..."_

_"Oh...yeah..." _

_"Uh...the place was bugged. I had to keep up the act."_

_"I...uh...understand, really..." _

_"And obviously the whole friendship thing, the foundation, it's all solid." _

_"Oh obviously...obviously..."_

Almost angrily, Daniel pressed the heel of his hand into his right eye. Damn it, he did understand. Just Jack doing his job. Only his job. But how much—it was the question that ate at him—how much of it had it been his job? Going in, rescuing Daniel out of the fire, abandoning him—

No. Not abandon. Daniel frowned. He didn't mean abandon.

_"We're dead anyway…" It hurt. It hurt to breathe, to think. Daniel barely felt hands grabbing for a hold to haul him up. He couldn't even raise his hands to push Jack away. "Just get out of here."_

_Jack sounded furious, like he blamed Daniel for not escaping the blast, for failing to keep up, for everything. "I am not leaving you here, Daniel!" _

_Daniel's eyes flew to Jack's face. The anguish…God, he seen it before…back on Abydos, flat words about no son should ever outlive their father. Daniel swallowed. Jack would do it. He would somehow take Daniel with him and they'll all fail because of him slowing down. _

A bird cawed far away and Daniel jumped. Chest heaving, he waited, wondering if footsteps would follow. Fumbling, trying to drag himself deeper into the shallow cavern, he felt the cold metal of a gun under his palm. Jack left him with the gun and went off unarmed out there.

_Was that something someone would do out of duty_, his mind argued.

_"You think the colonel would risk his ass to get this civie? Hell, he turned his back on all of them and went on his undercover heroism solo, remember? He's not going to come back here!" _

_But he came back. He did. _

Lying there, Daniel shivered. He pulled at his sweater weakly, wishing he had the foresight to grab something from the cabin as they had fled. The temperature was dropping at an alarming rate. One good note though—his arm wasn't hurting any more.

Daniel wiggled his fingers on his right hand, dismayed to feel them cramping with chills. They were numb, like his arm. Didn't hurt. Good news. Yeah. Maybe.

Something spun past his hiding place and Daniel's hand whipped out, gun shaking unsteadily in his right hand. The wind blew again and the culprit- a dry leaf, went back spinning the other way. Slowly, he lowered the gun, his heart still hammering triple time.

Sharp pain made him jerk his hands back and Daniel stared blankly at the red scratches on his wrists, his fingers. Huh? When—Oh yeah…when he was trying to cut the ropes before Tobias—

Bile rushed up his throat. Daniel grimaced but thankfully nothing came up. Not that there was anything to empty. Daniel's stomach rumbled, reminding the archeologist why.

How many hours had gone by? Daniel couldn't tell. It may only be minutes, seconds. God, if that was true, how long will help get here? Daniel drew his knees up and leaned against the cave wall, curled to ward off the chill. He stared out to the night sky he could see above the ridge on the other side of the river. The water gurgling faintly below his shelter made his throat ache. Maybe he should try to climb down and quench his thirst. Daniel painstakingly sat up, then changed his mind. No, Jack left him here because it was safe. It wouldn't do Daniel any good leaving here, not after all the trouble Jack had gone through.

Daniel stared wistfully out into space. He could feel his eyelids drooping. He wrapped his arms, ouch, okay he could feel the wound again, around his knees. A shudder wracked his body that took Daniel by surprise. He suddenly found himself lying on his side again, staring at the sky at an odd angle.

_"You heard the tapes, Neumann. If they were such good…__**friends**__, he would have given Jackson a hint or something. No, no, no. Our colonel was the good little soldier boy, lapping dutifully behind a bunch of aliens rather than stand by his fellow team!" _

No, Daniel decided, pushing back the echoes of Neumann and Tobias' conversations he'd overheard. That wasn't Jack they were talking about. He knew it, deep down inside. He knew the real Jack O'Neill.

So where is he?

Daniel let his head drop back against the icy cold stone. Great, even his own mind couldn't make up his mind.

_He had to leave to get help. Can't do that with you dragging him down._

Daniel nodded, ignoring the lump growing in his throat. Of course. Jack had to think of the overall picture, right? What's one man's hurt feelings compared to a planet? Daniel was sure that was what Jack was thinking when he first agreed to go undercover. Daniel watched blankly as leaves rolled by, carried by an autumn breeze. Daniel shivered. Cold.

_Daniel was trying as fast as he could to tie his laces, his fingers fumbling over the thin straps. He could hear Jack growing louder and louder. _

_"Look, it sounds plausible and worth a shot. It may be __**you**__ guys had no reason putting him there in the first place after all!"_

_Wincing, Daniel could hear the muted, supposedly soothing voice of Doctor Mackenzie. Daniel was surprised and utterly grateful when Doctor Mackenzie had did as he asked and called Jack. But now that he convinced Jack he was cured, the colonel was finding a roadblock to his freedom- the very same Mackenzie himself. _

_Daniel sat there in the waiting room, wishing he didn't have to be here escorted. His ears burned as he watched the interns out of the corner of his eye, smirking at him. Vaguely, he remembered rough hands shoving him against padded walls. Daniel hastened to put on his jacket. For some reason, his right arm couldn't find the sleeve. _

_"Okay, Daniel. Let's go."_

_Startled, Daniel lowered his arm, the sleeve he was trying to thread through fell lifeless on the bench. Jack stood over him, rubbing his knuckles. No, he didn't._

_"Let's go before Mackenzie changes his mind and I do something I'm sorely tempted," muttered Jack. He studied Daniel and the angry look softened. "Need help with that?"_

_Daniel shook his head. To his credit, Jack didn't push the issue. Instead, the colonel stood in front of Daniel, hands in his pockets as if he was waiting to pick up Daniel to drive him to work rather than springing him from the loony bin._

_Mental health institute, Daniel corrected, headed the term. Where had he heard it before. He raised his eyes and saw the guards in their white jackets again. He lowered his eyes and hurriedly put on the jacket. _

_"Something I can do for you fellas?" Jack's drawl made him look up from trying to grasp his zipper._

_"Doctor Mackenzie has signed the release papers, sir." The gruff voice brought back a distant memory of pain and helpless. Daniel found he felt better staring at the back of Jack's head instead. "And here. For the patient."_

_Daniel could see cuffs, the padded leather straps dangling from the intern's hands and cringed._

_"He's got a name- Doctor Jackson to you and we won't be needing these," Jack said smoothly. He turned around and with a firm hand, pulled Daniel to his feet. "Come on, Daniel. Let's head back to base."_

_The other intern, the one who kept sneering at Daniel, spoke up. "Sir, we must insist. It is for your safety in case the patient gets violent again. Isn't that right, Daniel?" He directed the last question at Daniel in a very loud voice. Daniel flinched._

_For some reason, Jack was blocking Daniel's view of the two and found himself staring at the loose thread on the back of Jack's collar. "If you don't get those out of my face, someone __**else**__ is going to get violent."_

_The two interns fell silent. Daniel stared at the thread on the collar, wondering vaguely why it was so quiet, why they were all standing so still, and if he pulled the thread, would everything unravel into pieces? What a stupid question. Daniel felt cold and wrapped his arms around his middle. Still cold. He shivered._

_Suddenly, the quiet was broken when the door slammed. Daniel dared to look and found to his relief, only Jack standing there. _

_The anger slipped away from the older man's eyes. With an easy smile, acting like nothing was wrong, Jack gave Daniel's shoulder a squeeze. Daniel stared at the hand, feeling the solid warm seeping into his jacket. Jack was really here. He swayed._

_"Whoa." The other hand now held Daniel up. "You want to rest first before we head out? Mackenzie said those drugs they gave you haven't worn off yet." Once again, the anger shook Jack's voice, but for some reason, Daniel knew it wasn't directed towards him. "Want to sit back down?" Jack paused. "Or wanna rest in the jeep?"_

_Daniel looked up at Jack. The colonel knew instantly. _

_"You'll rest in the jeep," Jack decided. He stepped back, leaving one warm solid palm against the small of Daniel's back. But he let Daniel walk on his own._

_The hallways were a blur, everything dark and hazy until Daniel stepped outside and felt the warm sun caressing his face. And it struck him. He was actually leaving this place. God._

_"I know," Jack murmured. Oh, Daniel must have said the last part out loud. "Glad you're out of there, too."_

_"Thanks for coming and get me," Daniel whispered. Harsh voices telling him to shut up echoed. He could still feel the hands squeezing his arms when they came into his room after Daniel had pounded constantly for Doctor Mackenzie to come. Daniel kept his voice low. "Thanks for trusting me this one last time."_

_"Isn't the last time, Daniel." That warm hand was now drifting up and down on his back. A door opened- Jack's jeep and Daniel sank gratefully into the cushioned seat. Fuzzily, he felt a seatbelt slide over him across and connected with a sharp click. The jeep gave under Jack's weight as the colonel climbed in and shut the door with a muffled thud._

_"Never should have left you there in the first place."_

_Daniel opened his eyes and saw the regret in Jack's face. Daniel offered a tired smile. "But you came back." Daniel watched Jack nod to himself. "You came back. Despite what everyone thought when they said I was…" Daniel swallowed. "Aren't you worried I might…might…hurt you again?"_

_Jack reached out a hand and tapped Daniel lightly on the cheek. "I trust you would never intentionally hurt me like you trust me to always come back." His hand returned to the wheel. "Get some rest, Danny. We'll be there real soon."_

_"Promise?" Daniel flinched. God, it sounded so…Jack didn't laugh though._

_"Have I ever lied to you, Daniel?" Jack sounded so solemn. "On what really matters?"_

_Daniel shook his head. No, Jack never did. Even if the truth hurts. Daniel drifted away, feeling the jeep rumble to life._

Why did it feel like everything had changed?

_"This whole...uh...this whole friendship thing we've been working on the last few years..."_

_"Apparently not much of a foundation there, huh?"_

Daniel's teeth chattered as he struggled to push back the memories. _An act. It was all an act. Stop thinking about it. Everyone's okay about it. You should let it drop. _

But Daniel wanted to know how. How Jack could say all those things unless…Unless they were there to begin with.

_No_. Daniel shook his head. A wave of dizziness distorted the cave he was in and Daniel's hand flew up to cradle his head. He turned his cheek, pressing down on the moist, chilled ground, but it provided no relief.


	31. Lure

_Daniel groaned at the rap at the door. Not now. He was barely finished with the introduction to his argument for the Tollans. He looked up blearily._

_"Dinner time," Jack piped up, strolling over with a plate. "Carter wrestled Teal'c to the ground for the last peanut butter sandwich. Poor guy is sobbing at the corner now. All for you." With a flourish, Jack plopped the paper plate at the corner of his desk._

_Staring at him, Daniel could only manage a "What?"_

_Jack waved his hands. "Okay, okay, so I fibbed on the sobbing part." He grinned._

_"No, I mean, what do you mean dinner?" Daniel checked his watch. Oh boy. "It's __**nine**__?" He groaned. "I barely started!" Frustrated, Daniel lowered his head to his hands. His head was pounding._

_"Hey, Daniel." Jack suddenly sounded serious. "Ease back on that, will you? Don't go overboard."_

_Astonished, Daniel looked up at him. "Are you kidding? Jack, this is for the Tollans. Do you know how rare it is for them to suddenly allow us to present our case to share technology?"_

_Something flickered across Jack's face. "Yeah."_

_"This is important." Daniel tapped his pen at the ledger pad full of notes. "You said it yourself it was important, Jack."_

_The colonel shuffled from foot to foot. "Er, I did say that, didn't I?"_

_Daniel shook his head. "Thanks for the sandwich. I didn't realize it was so late." He rustled through his notes. Now where was he?_

_"Need me to give you a ride home?"_

_Pausing, Daniel gave it some thought before he shook his head. "No, think I'll use the time to finish at least the opening arguments. I'll grab a bunk here when I'm done." He glanced up to Jack. The older man was looking at him with an expression Daniel couldn't quite translate. "Jack?"_

_The older man opened his mouth, then snapped it shut. Sighing heavily, Jack patted him on the shoulder. "Sure, big guy. Not too late, okay?"_

_Nodding, Daniel took a bite out of the sandwich. Mm. Peanut butter. He had to admit. It was his favorite. He rarely had it as a child traveling with his parents around Egypt. _

_Jack gave his head a light tap. "Night, then."_

_"Mack?" Great, he had peanut butter stuck in his mouth. Daniel brushed crumbs off his notes. "Thanks for dinner." He grimaced. Was that even comprehensible?_

_Jack, to Daniel's surprise, didn't laugh. The colonel looked regretful as he smiled. "Sure. Any time." A quick rap on the door and Jack was gone._

_Staring at the now vacant space in the doorway, Daniel looked down at the sandwich again. Come to think of it, Sam didn't know he liked peanut butter. Only Jack did. Shrugging, he took another bite and settled back to what he was sure to be a long night's work._

All those days. And the weeks where Jack would be surly, quick-tempered. An act all that time. And not one time did Jack tried to tell them, hint to them.

_"Being sweet and nice isn't going to stop three or four Goa'uld mother ships if they decide to come back again. Rather be a thief and alive than honest and dead. It's a cliché but there it is."_

Jack really looked like he believed that. Daniel remembered being at a lost of words.

_"Come on...you're a bright guy. You had to have sense something..."_

He didn't. He really didn't. Jack's expression held little emotion, no sympathy or understanding when Daniel was there. The archeologist literally didn't recognize him- a surreal feeling had settled over him as Jack spoke.

_"You heard the tapes, Neumann. If they were such good…__**friends**__, he would have given Jackson a hint or something."_

Daniel turned his head to the ground. He stared at the gun lying close to his fingertips. He stretched his left hand and brushed against the metal curves. Had it all been a bluff? Could anyone bluff that good? Even Jack? And when he visited Jack? Couldn't Jack have just…not let him in? Avoid having that whole entire conversation? Why did he feel it had to be said at all?

_"This whole...uh...this whole friendship thing we've been working on the last few years..."_

He shut his eyes. They had worked on it. Or at least Daniel thought they did.

Daniel huddled closer within himself and shivered. He'd always thought he did pretty well on the field, held his own during the toughest battles, but he also knew Jack and the others were always one step behind him, or one step ahead of him, ready to help. And so far, Daniel didn't really need to call out for help. They were always there.

And maybe that was the problem.

**They** were always there for him. But did they want to be? _"You think we would have been able to get either of them with what we had?"_

_"Jackson was our best bet to get him over here. We need them both, Tobias. Jackson was the best lure we could get at our current resources."_

The best lure.

Daniel's eyes fluttered shut at the echoes of the rogues' sneers. He swallowed the uncomfortable knot in his throat and laid there listening to the wind. They probably wouldn't have been able to get the others. They didn't need to. They were able to get him. The weakest link.

The ache grew in his chest as Daniel drifted away. He curled his hands around the gun and laid there, fighting the urge to sleep, to stay alert for his kidnappers or for the men who broke into the cabin before. But tried as he might, he began to fade away and the empty realization he had concluded to sat like a heavy weight in his chest.

George Hammond was a pretty patient man. He liked to think so.

But staring at the unemotional Davis, at the gun waving from him to Jones, Hammond felt a burst of anger swelling in his chest.

"You understand there will be no way you would be getting off this base, do you?"

Davis smiled. "As Major Davis, no. But—" He tucked two fingers into his shirt and pulled something off. To Hammond's amazement, Davis wavered like a mirage and reshaped to a smaller man, a face he remembered briefly seeing down the halls for months now. The general glared at him. "But a non-descript airman? One who found the bodies of General Hammond and Jones after Makepeace so tragically shot them?" The impostor held up an item Hammond recognized with a chill. Slipping it back onto his chest, Davis' image returned. The impostor smiled.

"Looks familiar, sir? Thank you so much for managing to recover so many of these. You wouldn't believe how useful they were in my organization."

Hammond glowered at him. "Where's the real Major Davis?"

Another smile, just as insincere as the first one. "The _real_ Davis? Probably pissed off somewhere in DC. Our men caught him as he was leaving for the airport. And I took over." The impostor brushed off the jacket with his free hand.

"You guys were never coming to break us out, were you?" Makepeace sounded oddly calm. The colonel stood below in the room, ignoring the guards next to him. "Even if we were never going to say anything, you guys can't take the chance."

"You said it before, Makepeace," the Davis look-a-like told him through the glass. "They don't know how high this goes. And we need to keep it that way."

"Now, general," Davis waved his gun at him. "If you would move to the back a little. Jones, you, too."

"Whoever you are," Hammond warned. "I hope you realize what you are doing."

"A little policy changing," Davis answered. "Now, sir—"

Hammond seethed as he was forced to take a step back. He saw Jones tensing, the technician prepared to lunge for Davis regardless. Before he could say anything, the door suddenly exploded.


	32. Piece Chase

"Daniel?" Parting the thin reeds of trees that concealed their hiding place, Jack whispered out to his friend. He could see the bottom of Daniel's boots angled towards the shallow cave. Carefully, Jack slipped in, taking care not to drop the precious water he obtained from the creek below.

Jack planned to weave some sort of net with the twigs and branches broken on the ground. And it came out pretty okay, stalks of leafy green that could add the additional smoke screen Jack needed to cover their cave. As he finished up, he heard the river gurgled invitingly below. Shit, Jack's own stomach grumbled at the sounds of bubbling cool water. So he set the carefully arranged mesh of greenery close to the cave entrance, checked on Daniel once more, the younger man was dozing what seemed like a rest long overdue, then began the precarious climb down the forty five degree angle slope.

It took Jack a while, longer than he'd expected, a few times where he unintentionally traveled a hell of a lot faster than he'd preferred, but he made his way down to the river finally. After a few cupped handfuls of water, Jack was finally able to get rid of the gummy taste in his mouth. He splashed water on his left thigh, washing away the sting and grunted as he checked the gash, proving to be like he thought—looked like it needed stitches, but he wasn't going to bleed to death walking on it.

Jack'd looked up, towards the location of their hideout, gazing thoughtfully at the shrouded rock face that held their haven for the night. The colonel then wrestled out of his pullover and the cotton undershirt he had on. Re-donning the thick fleece material and jacket again, Jack gave the cotton shirt a quick rinse, then saturating the fabric with water. Weighing it in his hands, Jack knew it was probably the next best thing until daybreak.

_It's that or dragging the poor guy down two stories of bedrock for a sip of water_, Jack thought ruefully as he gingerly sat down next to Daniel.

The archeologist was oblivious to the new arrival, which worried Jack. He mentally counted back the hours since he knew Neumann and Tobias had Daniel. A wrinkle formed between his brow. Jack pursed his lips, trying to recall if he saw any evidence of food around the cabin during his…visit. Shit. The wrinkle grew to a full-blown frown that included a soft swearing under his breath. Jack lightly tapped Daniel on the cheek, receiving only a little frown and some odd murmuring before Daniel rolled over in his sleep.

And winced.

_Ouch_, Jack thought as he finally got a good look at the right arm, the sweater torn at the upper arm, tinged in brown and red. Probing the hole carefully, Jack peeled away the material and hissed sympathetically at the deep gash that spanned from front to back. No question about it. Definitely a bullet wound. Jack pressed at the edges, feeling the heat emulating from it. Infected, too. Shit, any deeper and Daniel would have been walking around with the bullet inside.

The cool water trickling down the ridges of his knuckles reminded Jack of his precious cargo. The folded shirt lay thick, dripping with water.

"Daniel." With a gentle shake, Jack tried once more. He needed to get some water in his friend, such as it was. Daniel gave a low moan before Jack's free hand clamped over his mouth. The colonel looked around him anxiously, holding his breath as he strained to hear any reaction. Nothing. Jack slowly slipped his hand off and the lines on Daniel's brow smoothed away.

Carefully, while holding onto the drenched shirt, Jack eased his other arm under Daniel's shoulders and sat him up. The archeologist's head lolled back against the crook of his elbow. Under the dim moonlight, Jack could see the shadows that draped over Daniel's face were not from darkness. Circles under shut eyes, pallor so white that the bruise on Daniel's cheek and forehead looked stark black.

Brushing a knuckle against the temple, Jack pressed the damp shirt to Daniel's lips. The younger man frowned again, feeling the cool water dribble from the shirt to his mouth.

"Come on, Daniel," Jack whispered close to his friend's ear. The colonel shuffled so he could see out of the cave, positioning himself in order to have Daniel leaning on him, his head still pillowed by Jack's bent elbow. "Drink up, big guy."

Daniel's mouth open partly as he breathed and water seeped in. Jack pulled it away when the archeologist began to stir restlessly with a cough. Shit. Daniel was barely conscious enough to swallow. It would be too sick to be ironic if Daniel was to drown on what trickle of water Jack could offer him.

"Slow down," murmured Jack as he pressed a corner of the shirt to Daniel's mouth. The younger man, realizing finally what it was, squirm feebly to reach the refreshment, low sounds of distress gasping out of him that made Jack's gut twist into knots. He let Daniel chew on the shirt, taking in the absorbed water before he pulled it away again. "Alright, alright," soothed Jack as Daniel began to struggle. As the younger man shifted, his head dropped down to Jack's chest.

_"Because she would know where she'd buried his body."_

Automatically, Jack's arm tightened and the fist holding on the shirt clenched. Daniel murmured a sleepy protest as water spurt, spilling over his face.

"Shit, sorry, buddy." Jack tried squeezing a larger stream of water into Daniel's mouth, but then the younger man coughed and sputtered again. Wiping the water away with the same shirt, Jack pressed a folded corner of the material again to Daniel's lips. As he watched Daniel automatically mouthing the fabric to extract the water, Jack's gut twisted.

Jack fought the urge to tighten his fists again. He sat back against the wall, supporting Daniel as best he could and stared out into the night sky.

_"Kept calling out your name, you know. Until he started begging us to stop. Then after a while, he just wasn't saying anything at all."_

Didn't happen that way. Thank God, it didn't happen that way. Jack pulled the shirt away and wiped his friend's face with the still damp fabric, checking for any signs of blood. Thankfully, no fever, but he didn't like how Daniel still shivered. Jack squared back his shoulders to subdue his own tremors.

"You came back."

Startled, Jack looked down and found himself pinned by half-mast blue eyes. Daniel blinked, struggling to stay awake.

Jack frowned. Why did Daniel sound so damn surprised? "Didn't go anywhere," he whispered. He raised a finger to his lips, signaling Daniel to keep his voice down. "How you feeling?"

Daniel didn't sound like he heard him. "You came back."

Pulling him closer, Jack nodded.

"You s-should have just left…" Daniel's eyes fluttered closed, then opened again. "Would have been o—okay…"

"What?" Jack leaned closer. "Daniel, what the hell are you talking about?" He was stunned. Left? Leave? What kind of crap was spinning in Daniel's mind?

"You could have trusted m-me…" Daniel slurred as he slid sideways away from Jack. "To watch your back, J-jack…why c-couldn't you…"

"Daniel, I don't understand. What are you—" Jack stopped when he saw Daniel was losing the battle to stay awake. Staring at his friend for a moment, Jack eased him down to lay on his left side, his back towards the cave. Immediately, Daniel shivered and curled tighter within himself. Jack swallowed. "Never mind. We'll talk more later, okay?" He got no response. Jack absently patted the right arm, below the elbow. Not good. It felt warm. Damn it. Fingering the damp shirt, Jack wiped it across Daniel's face and neck, hoping it would help stave off any possible fevers.

The archeologist gave a low moan, too low for anyone to hear, except Jack did and it made his hands twitch. Jack bit the inside of his cheek to keep from wanting to leave the cave and find Neumann and Tobias and hell, while he's out there, those cabin busting guys and pound his fists on them until his ears stop roaring for blood.

"Just rest up, Daniel," Jack said in a low voice. The older man adjusted his jacket so the black material covered his neck and his silver hair a little. Turning so his back faced the cave, Jack spooned up behind Daniel, making sure every bit of the light colored sweater couldn't be seen from afar. Luckily, they both had dark colored pants on. Jack hoped the mesh he made to conceal the cave entrance and his own dark clothing would be enough to hide them for a few hours of rest.

Daniel struggled fitfully the moment Jack slipped his left arm under him, wrapping his right loosely over the shivering body. He stilled though when Jack shushed him, folded over the cool damp shirt and pressed it over Daniel's forehead.

"It's alright," Jack whispered as he drew his friend closer. He rubbed Daniel's shoulders with his right hand. The shivering eased a little. "It's me, not them. You're going to be okay."

"Ja—" Daniel twisted once more.

"Sh…I know, buddy. Not exactly Club Med." Jack moved his palm and pressed down at the shirt, stroking it over the sleeping face once. "But we'll get back. Promise."

Whether Daniel heard him, or the wet fabric had finally eased his pains, Daniel calmed down considerably. With a soft exhale, a white cold cloud puffed out of his lips, Daniel slumped further and drifted deeper into sleep.

Jack looked over his shoulder, the camouflage he made standing halfway over the cave. He could see his own breath billowing out like smoke. Jack suppressed a shiver.

_"Kept calling out your name, you know. Until he started begging us to stop. Then after a while, he just wasn't saying anything at all."_

Well he's here, damn it. It didn't play down the way Neumann said. Jack settled down, resting his chin on Daniel's back. He watched the reassuring puffs of icy breath drift away from Daniel. One by one. Breathing. Alive.

_"Poor guy just wouldn't believe you weren't coming."_

Well he did. And sure as hell no one was going to pry him away. Jack felt Daniel stirred.

_"You came back."_

"I'm not going anywhere, Daniel," Jack whispered to his friend. "Not going anywhere." He lay there, watching Daniel breathe, waiting for night to lighten to day so they can find their way home again.

Daniel felt like he was drifting. Between a haze of pain and utter weariness. Floating, yet felt heavy.

_"Why hello, civie."_

God.

_Hands over him. He couldn't breathe. Can't breathe. Jack…_

_"Apparently not much of a foundation there, huh?"_

He stirred. Why do words physically hurt? He curled tighter.

_"And you didn't think you could trust us to help?"_

Frayed rope. He must have been the frayed rope. The weak link that would have unraveled. Weak in Jack's eyes. No foundation? Running towards a bridge, only to realize too late it was never there. Or broken? Maybe it's just broken?

_"I am not leaving you here, Daniel."_

_"Stuff that interests people like you, Daniel, not people like me."_

Daniel didn't understand. Should it bother him? Should it not? It was all a lie. Jack wasn't really one of them. And Jack hadn't meant what he said back at his place. Right?

Right?

He paused. He was supposed to be doing something. Running. They were running. No, wait. Not running. Jack had left him here. Hard ground underneath him, uncomfortable, grating at his back, his arm. Everything hurts.

"Easy, I got you." Warm hands bracing his shoulders. He couldn't move. Trapped!

"Sh…" Whispers, barely loud enough to be sound, hushed against his ear. Daniel found something heavy over his legs and he panicked. "It's only me. Calm down."

Daniel opened his eyes and saw darkness, vague spots of moonlight on stone walls. A shadow outlining his. What? He tried to turn, but it was too hard to command the action. His arm ended up flopping over his stomach. Agony flared up and muscles began to spasm.

A callused hand gripped his wrist and guided it gently to rest over his side. Textured skin, rough, yet soothing as it smoothed out small circles over his knuckles.

"Try to lie still. Stay where you are." Arms tightened more and he realizes he wasn't alone and…and…protected?

_"Jackson was our best bet to get him over here. We need them both, Tobias. Jackson was the best lure we could get at our current resources."_

_"And you didn't think you could trust us to help?"_

No. He struggled with the hands.

A hand drifted over his forehead, stilling his head. "Just lie still." More whispers. "We leave at daybreak. Rest while you can. It's okay."

He finally drew a name with the voice. "Jack?"

The hand gave his cheek a pat before returning to its position wrapped over his chest. "You still cold?"

Cold? Inside, yes. Well, no. A little. Outside though…he did feel warm. A tad. He realized he wasn't shivering anymore. And that was nice. He shook his head slowly. The back of his head struck Jack's shoulder.

"You didn't go?" His voice sounded like pouring sand. He swiped the tip of his tongue over his lips, dismayed to realized they were dry and cracked. He tasted blood. Remembering tasting something cool, wet, before, he pressed his lips together and tried to remember the sensation.

"Go?" Jack sounded surprised. "Go where, Daniel?"

"Go away." For some reason, those words made his throat ache, a heavy rock sitting on his chest.

Sadness tinged the gruff voice. "Daniel, why would you think I would ever-" Jack trailed off. "We're talking about before, aren't we? About back in my place? Daniel-"

No, he didn't want to hear the usual explanations. He wanted to **hear** it, know it deep down what was real, what was not. He shook his head. He didn't want to talk about it. Not now. Maybe not ever. Daniel whimpered, his head hurts, and felt Jack pull in closer. Can't think. Needed to think it out first. He shuffled and felt the arms adjusted. His head was resting on Jack's left arm now, the scent of leather wafting up his nose. The heat from Jack's body warmed his back. Even his legs stopped shaking.

And suddenly, he just wanted to sleep. Let everything go away for a while. Just rest his eyes for a second, please. No more thinking. No more wondering. Just nothing for a short while. Please?

"Sure." Jack answered. Oh, he must have spoken out loud. "Just sleep, buddy. We'll deal with it when we get out of here."

A damp cloth wiped carefully at his face and forehead. Daniel sighed.

"It'll be okay. Trust me."

He opened his eyes once more. Jack paused, sensing this.

"Daniel, do you still trust me? I mean, I know before I was—"

"I'm tired," he rasped again. And Jack fell silent.

Jack sounded funny, his voice while a whisper, sounded cracked. "Yeah. I guess we both are. Go to sleep, Danny."

Dutifully, glad for the reprieve, he drifted away, ever aware of the presence warming his back.


	33. What's the Plan?

"Sir? Sir?"

Hammond found himself staring at a white sky. Dead? Hm, would have thought heaven was a lot softer though. His back ached at the hard surface underneath him.

"Sir? Oh boy, I think I used a tad too much C-4. Did anyone called Doctor Fraiser yet? I am never going to see past major now, aren't I?"

_Margaret? _He heard a soft female voice floated over him. He opened his eyes.

Major Carter was hovering over him, huge anxious blue circles blinking at him. "Sir? General? Are you okay?"

"What happened?" he managed.

The major sagged in relief. "Um…Overestimated the amount of C-4 on the door. Teal'c felt we needed a loud…distraction."

Hammond abruptly sat up. The impostor, Makepeace, Jones! He swiveled his head sharply left and right.

"They're all alive, sir," Major Carter reported. She waved at Jones, who was holding a gun to Davis, or the man they thought was Davis. His disguise gone, the impostor sat there slumped on the wall, the jacket he wore before was still smothering.

"What about Makepeace?" he demanded as Carter lent a hand to help him to his feet. Staggering to the counter, he found an even worse mess below, the two soldiers folded over each other in a heap, Makepeace staring at them as Teal'c pointed his zat gun at all three of them.

"Still alive, sir," Carter said. "No thanks to them." She sighed, sitting on the edge of the counter. "They've been intercepting all our traces. We just found out a few seconds ago." She gave a sheepish grin, waving at the chaos. "Otherwise, I would have time to figure out how much plastique we really needed."

Hammond waved off the apology. He leaned both hands on the counter and looked down through the shards of glass. The window was shattered, its remains crunching under Teal'c's feet. "Colonel Makepeace!"

The colonel looked up with dull eyes.

"This is what's going to happen to your comrades, Colonel O'Neill, and Doctor Jackson if we don't get there in time!" Hammond pointed at the unconscious solders, then to the Davis impostor. "Is that what you really want?"

"Sir," Carter added, an urgency in her voice. "Once, you were on our side, fighting the same war. Surely you wouldn't leave the colonel behind. You know he wouldn't to you."

Makepeace stared the guards silently. The tall Marine shook his head. His face transformed and he looked weary now.

"There may be…one place."

Daniel never answered his question.

Watching Daniel being a stubborn ass, Jack winced as the archeologist stumbled again. The younger man froze, looking like a caught spider on the wall, before once more beginning the climb down to the riverbank below.

When Daniel woke, he had an odd expression when he'd realized Jack was sitting right next to him, already up since the first beam of sunlight warmed his scratchy face. All Daniel would say was Jack shouldn't have let him sleep so long. That's all. After that, Daniel sat up, scrubbed his face and looked puzzled at the shirt that plopped down from his forehead. Like he saw it before, but where?

Jack was tempted to suggest Daniel rest for a moment more, but the resolute posture the archeologist was desperately trying to maintain, told Jack to back off. For now.

So Jack was forced to watch, his heart leaping to new heights each time Daniel's step skidded and clung. He trailed below Daniel, eyes up at his friend, silently coaxing Daniel to hold a little tighter, silently praying Daniel's feet would find every foothold. It was an utter relief when Daniel's feet finally settled on terra firma.

It was a testament to how bad Daniel was feeling when he didn't argue as Jack led him a few feet to the riverbank. The younger man sank to his knees gratefully and without a word, began scooping up water to drink. Jack's own mouth felt like sand and he eased down slowly, damn leg stiffened up overnight, and joined him.

For the next few minutes, the men just drank the cool water. The morning sun was just clearing the horizon as they both scrubbed their faces with splashes of water, ducking their heads in the refreshing river before they both simultaneously sat back with twin sighs.

With some difficulty, Daniel sat up straighter. He shook his head, breathing deeply. When he spoke, it was a bit stronger, but Jack wondered if it was forced.

Daniel flexed his fingers in his left hand, his right sitting quiescent on his lap. "What's the plan?"

Jack reached out and scooped more water up, letting the river stream down in rivulets over his hair, his face. He swiped his tongue at the corners of his mouth, tasting the dried blood. "We get home, warn the base, then nap for a long time." He offered a crooked smile towards Daniel.

Daniel gave a tired laugh. "Sounds fine to me." He got up shakily. He swallowed, standing still for a moment, before he reached out a hand to brace himself on the valley wall.

"You gonna make it?" Jack tracked the drunken movements with concern.

Apparently, it was the wrong thing to ask, because Daniel's face flushed with anger for a second before it drained away. Daniel bobbed his head. "Of course."

Jack set his jaw. Fine, if that's how he wanted to play it. Jack rose to his feet as well, testing his leg. The graze wasn't bad. Hadn't even bled much. Definitely can walk on it. He turned his scrutiny over to his companion and his evaluation changed.

If Daniel had looked bad before, he definitely looked worse now. He still shivered, the sweater hung on him, stretched thin in some places. His hair plastered to his head with dirt and now water. Daniel was trying his best to stand upright, as straight and as tall as possible, but Jack wasn't convinced. Not by a long shot.

"Jack?" Daniel stared ahead. "Let's go. We have to get back."

"Daniel—"

"I'm **fine**."

"Fine," Jack muttered. "Yeah, you look swell," he added under his breath. "The bottom of my shoe looked better." Louder, he relented. "Okay. Let's go. We'll stop a bit for some rest later."

Daniel opened his mouth, but Jack cut him right off.

"Look Superman, even if you're not tired, down the road, we both will be. Okay?"

"Fine," Daniel muttered. His shoulders slumped. Not waiting for Jack, he began hobbling away.

Jack stared at the younger man's back for a moment, shook his head, before he followed right after him.

The jeeps screeched to a halt at the bottom of the mountain. Doors opened, then closed in resounding thumps as Sam, Teal'c and a few others got out. General Hammond had wasted no time the minute Makepeace gave a location. While he stayed behind to contact DC to begin search for the real Major Davis, he sent Sam, Teal'c and a dozen others out to the site. The ride was long and agonizing. Sam was glad she wasn't driving, letting Ferretti, who just returned from his own mission, do the hair raising turns up the mountain. Gave her time to memorize the map, bite some of her nails until Teal'c gently patted her hand down, and count the bullets in her P-90 over and over again.

"Well, shit," someone uttered as they stood there and looked up at the mountain that stretched beyond their eyes can see.

Sam forced herself to turn away. She whipped out the map, spreading the folded paper out onto the hood of one of the jeeps. "Okay," she began crisply. "Colonel Makepeace gave us five possibles on where this cabin may be. All not accessible by car so we're going to have to hoof it." She turned over her wrist and glanced at her watch. They had been searching for two hours already, the sun now leveling off at its highest point over their heads. "We've checked two already. So these are the last ones." She caught one of the walkie-talkies Ferretti tossed to everyone. "Keep radio contact. We don't know how many are out there, or their current weapon situation. Anything. If you see anything, radio it in."

A few of the soldiers chorused an affirmative. Sam let Ferretti take over making the assignments as she prepared her own gear. She blinked as she saw her backpack float in front of her. She smiled her thanks to Teal'c.

"Think they're okay?"

"They are alive," Teal'c announced as he readied his zat gun. "O'Neill would not allow anything to happen to Daniel Jackson. Nor would Daniel Jackson abandon O'Neill." He steadied his gaze at her. "Regardless of past incidences."

"To think," Sam muttered as she pulled on her gloves. "I was worried about them two never speaking to each other again. Now—"" She grimaced.

"They are both a determined pair." Nodding, Teal'c followed behind her to the woods. The Jaffa looked like he had to refrain from running, allowing Sam to maintain the pace. "They are alive, Major Carter."

"They better be," she muttered as she waved to the others before starting up on the road. She could hear the others already climbing, their reports already streaming into her earpiece as they went. "Because when we get them back, I am locking them in a room until they can talk it out." She grabbed Teal'c's offered hand and let herself be hauled up one difficult spot. "Should have done so in the first place."

The Jaffa made no comment, but he did seem to agree as he nodded once at her.

The bushes shivered as the shadows skulked by.

Jack kept one hand on Daniel's shoulder as they stayed crouched low behind an aging tree. Not that he'd expected the archeologist to bolt, but Neumann's sneering voice kept taunting him since they began tracking the river for a way out. Now, he was compelled to have some tangible evidence under his fingers, whether the dirt encrusted sweater, a hunched shoulder, or even a wrist, Jack O'Neill was not about to let go. They would have to zat him three times to pry him away.

One of the NID men paused, his assault rifle glint under the rays of sunlight that came through the thicket of trees. Barely a spot of skin was exposed; wrapped so tight in black, Jack wouldn't have known they were near had he not heard that single twig crack.

"Any sign of them?" One of the men whispered. He stopped right in front of the tree. Speaking into his mouthpiece attached to his Kevlar vest, the assailant leaned on one tree, his back towards them.

Slowly, Jack slipped his hand over Daniel's head and gave it a little push down. The younger man didn't argue, already hunched so low his chin was touching his knees on the ground.

"Let's try across the river." The speaker straightened and waved to his teammates. Two other men bounded up, looking like carbon copies of each other. A few hand signals Jack translated as splitting up and they were gone.

"Stay still," Jack silently commanded with a squeeze to Daniel's wrist. He felt a jerk and turned to find Daniel wincing in pain. Jack released and watched the red marks of his own grip fade back to the purpling skin around Daniel's wrists.

"Sorry," the colonel mouthed. Daniel shrugged, shaking his hands briefly with a pained twist of his mouth. Jack stuck his nose into the bushes, watching with apprehensive eyes as the men spread out, one disappearing deep into the woods towards the direction of the cabin again, the other two gliding effortlessly down the short cliff to the river.

"Now?" Daniel's gaze seem to say as he tracked the two men jumping down to the river bank, then wadding through the now calm waters to the other side. He craned his neck, looking over the edge, tracking them until they were swallowed up by the forest. Even when they were out of sight, the stiff tension that kept Daniel's back rigid wouldn't go away.

Jack shook his head, holding up his hand telling him to wait. Daniel nodded, returning back to his anxious surveillance of the men even when they were too far away to really tell what they were doing. Jack sat back and studied his silent companion for the tenth time today.

Determined, Daniel had not asked for a break since they woke up this morning. The younger man gnawed on his lower lip occasionally, even tripped over rocks only he could see, but still he plowed on. And now, hiding behind a moss-covered tree, Jack could see the pale face, almost iridescent in the darkness.

"We better just rest here, until they far enough away," he whispered. The colonel looked over his shoulder to the river below. "We better stay away from the edge from now on, too. In case those guys come back for this side." He nodded towards the stream below. "Want to get one last drink?"

Daniel waved a hand at Jack, indicating no. He was still staring at the forest around them, where the other man had cut through.

Jack frowned. The hands looked red, a bit swollen. He swore under his breath. He should have examined the archeologist before. He grabbed the hand in mid-air and gently pulled it towards him. He hissed sympathetically, his own mouth pressed thin at the sight of the red cuts tipping the fingers, the wrist turning a vivid purple from bruises.

"Ouch," commented Jack. "What happened here?"

"Was trying to untie my ropes. Missed a few times." Daniel shrugged, giving his hand a yank, slipping it out of Jack's grasp.

_Aw hell, Daniel. What's with the Hercules act?_ Jack made a face. He pulled the hand back towards him, turning the palm up.

"Son of a bitch," Jack seethed as he traced a finger down the bruised wrists, avoiding the swollen flesh. Jack probed the right wrist, pulling back when Daniel sucked in his breath at one sore spot. "Sorry."

Daniel flinched. "It's fine," he whispered, retracting it once more and letting it drop on his lap. Carefully, Daniel turned around to sit with his back against the exposed roots of the tree.

"How's the arm?"

Startled, Daniel hadn't realized he was clutching it below the wound. Chiding himself, he lowered his hand. "Just a cut."

"Cut, my foot." Jack crawled over, keeping his head low, and went around to Daniel's right side. "Last I checked, it was looking a little ragged."

Daniel glanced over to him out of the corner of his eye. "Last you checked?" He stared out to the trees, perhaps at the cliff opposite of them. "You didn't have to **check** up on me. I said I was fine." He leaned back against the tree and took a deep breath. Daniel reached up a hand to wipe his brow, his sweater rising up as he did.

"Yeah," Jack bit out as glimpses of dark spots-, burns from the stun gun he realized with a red-hot flare coursing through his arms.

_"Nice, huh? Jackson didn't seem to care for it too much before."_

He bunched his fists, remembering how Neumann taunted the stun gun in front of him, recalling how his whole body felt like it wouldn't stop convulsing, every nerve a scorched line of agony. The colonel felt a dark satisfaction of leaving Neumann behind. There was no way in hell he was going to let the rogue walk around in one piece now that daytime had revealed Daniel's ordeal. "Fine," Jack muttered, his fingers twitching in memory of how Neumann's breath rattled in his throat when Jack wrapped his hands around it. "I can see what great care was taken of yourself."

A flash of hurt so acute swept Jack's anger away in one fell swoop. "Shit, Daniel I didn't mean it that way," he said hastily. "Look, I'm just pissed off that-"

_Crack._

It was strange to see Daniel react to the sound faster than Jack did. The young man's head spun around so fast, Jack feared he would get whiplash. Daniel gathered close to the tree before Jack even had a chance to signal. The colonel slid down to his stomach and peered through the thick shrubs.

A slim figure, lurching more than walking, crashed through the bushes a few feet away. Jack narrowed his eyes, seeing the familiar outline of the assault rifles the NID agents had. He poked two fingers into the bushes and scissors them open, parting a peephole to see better. Jack turned his head when he saw Daniel's leg out of the corner of his eye, twitch, and then stiffened. Jack returned back to the figure. He froze.

Tobias.

The female rogue was muttering, one arm swinging limply as she walked. The other hand grasped an assault rifle. Absently, Jack wondered where she got the weapon, his jaw muscle twitching as he recalled the distant gunfire towards the jeep. Looks like NID didn't get their man- er, woman.

Tobias stopped up ahead and spun around, her head snapping left to right and back. He wondered briefly where was Neumann, if he managed to slip away or was he lying somewhere dead on this mountain.

"I know you're here, civie."

Jack jerked at her voice. It was soft, low, and held an edge that made Jack's hand reach back for the gun. Tobias stood there, scanning the woods, her rifle swinging left and right like a pendulum.

"Here civie, civie, civie. Come out and play," she whispered. Her head swayed a little and she staggered back a step. "We had so much fun before."

Turning sharply to Daniel, Jack noted Daniel had his forehead pressed to the bark. Jack could see his lips moving. Praying? No. He froze as he could read the lips muttering rapidly "Go away, go away." Jack whipped his head back towards Tobias, his eyes narrowing.

"I know you're out there," Tobias hissed, the rifle swinging faster and faster now as she walked past their spot. "Little bastard. Hiding out there." She slowly spun in place, speaking to the trees. "You're going to get me through that Stargate of yours. You'll be begging me to." She chuckled to herself, the sound twisted and long. "No one bests me. You hear me, civie? No one!"

Jack tensed as Tobias' voice grew. He rested his left hand on the gun tucked in his waistband, the other reaching for Daniel's foot to tell his friend it was okay. But on contact, Daniel recoiled, squeezing into a tighter ball behind the tree.

Tobias froze.

Shit. Did she hear them? Jack stared at the back of her neck, noting a bloody spot on the back of her shoulder, a rag wrapped around one area on her shoulder as a bandage. Tobias stood there, her head cocked towards their direction and waited.

And waited.

_Get the hell out of here_, Jack thought furiously. His fingers wrapped around the gun. Crap, the others hadn't left here too long ago. If he fired a shot, they would still hear it. Jack ground his teeth, his index finger twitching around the trigger. But from the way Daniel was staring at her now, his face gone from white to transparent, Jack was seriously debating the risks.

Tobias grunted and she turned on her heel. One more glance over her shoulder, Tobias took a deep breath to steady herself and left. The trees rustled as she past, swaying as she went by, still muttering under her breath.

The two men stayed where they were, barely breathing, silent short inhales in timed with each other. Jack stared at the path Tobias took. Daniel went back to pressing his face on the tree bark.

"Okay," Jack whispered. "Looks clear." He rose up, off his belly and made a face towards her direction. "Shit, she sounded like she was two fries short of a Happy Meal, huh, Daniel?" Jack tossed a concerned look over his shoulder when he didn't get a reply, twisting around completely at what he saw.

The archeologist hadn't moved since she left. Eyes closed, hands braced on the tree were concealing his face, Daniel just crouched there, breathing in and out, ragged sounds as if they were being ripped out of his body.

"Daniel?" Jack made his way over to his friend. "Daniel?" His voice rose just above a whisper. Warning bells shrieked in his ears. He tentatively dropped his hand on Daniel's shoulder. The younger man shuddered, but it wasn't shrugged away. "Daniel. What she said before. She…I mean…"

"She didn't." Daniel backed away from the tree, his head bowed. He brought up a hand and made a gesture as if he was going to push up his glasses that were no longer there. His palm covered his eyes for a moment.

"Daniel, she said before about—"

"She didn't, Jack, okay? She tried, but she didn't. God, why do you make it sound like every single woman we encounter just wants to-" Daniel sucked in his breath, dropping his head. "Seems like it though, huh?" Daniel laughed bitterly.

Jack closed his eyes. _Ah hell_. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"No," Daniel rose to his feet. He looked so tired. Jack wanted to tell him to sit back down, but he couldn't bring himself to at the sight of Daniel's determined face. "I just seem to not do anything right at times."

"What?" Jack shot up on his feet. "That's the biggest piece of—"

"We better go." Daniel brushed aside Jack's indignation with a tired wave. "Sam and the others. Jack. We need to tell them about Davis."

Jack snapped his mouth shut. He was right. Daniel was right, of course. Now wasn't the time to mend fences, to smooth away wrinkles in a friendship. _But_, Jack thought as he walked up to Daniel, _when was it ever a good time?_ Jack nodded to the archeologist, who ignored his offered hand and they began their long hike again.


	34. Forward Piece

"Ferretti," Sam spoke into the radio. "We found the colonel's jeep."

"What about the colonel? Or Doctor Jackson?" The major's voice broke through to her earpiece in a burst of static.

Sam watched as Teal'c pulled at the driver side door, calmly stepping away as the door broke free of its hinges and fell to the highway. "They're not in it." _Thank God_, she thought as she counted the holes riddled on the empty jeep.

"Damn," Ferretti swore into the walkie-talkie, missing the relief in her voice. "We sighted a cabin from our angle. Looks to me maybe a bit of a hike one o'clock from where you are."

Already steering for the slope, Sam waved towards Teal'c and the others. "Can you tell how far? Or how many are—"

Ferretti's voice cut into her flood of questions. "Major, wait." A short pause over the line. Then with a crackle, Ferretti returned. "Forget that. No one's in there any more."

"How can you tell?" Sam was still checking her gear, set to go anyway.

"Cause the frigging front door's been blown part including part of the wall. I can see all the way to the next room. Ain't nobody there, major."

Sam and Teal'c traded worried looks.

"No bodies. That's something," Ferretti offered, the hope audible even through the speakers.

"Yeah," she murmured. Sam shook her head. "Okay," she spoke briskly, back to business. "Ferretti, looks like this is the right direction. You and your men make your way towards us. We're going to go up there anyway. We may make out a trail or something from there."

"Roger," replied Ferretti. "ETA thirty minutes, Carter." He coughed and his voice sounded lighter. "Sounds like the colonel and Daniel were able to escape."

"Yeah," Sam murmured again. _I hope so._

"There is blood," announced Teal'c as he stopped in his tracks.

Sam's heart sank as she reached the Jaffa and followed where his finger pointed. Sure enough, a trail of blood, small drops that grew bigger and bigger vanished beyond the rise.

Ferretti bounded up towards them and checked it out himself. He sucked in his breath. "Shit, that's a hell of a lot of blood." The major shifted from one foot to the other as he motioned silently to his men to circle the area. "Think it's one of our guys?"

_I hope not,_ Sam thought.

"Major Ferretti." Booker bound up to them, nodding to where his other teammate was standing. "Found a body there. Not the colonel or Doctor Jackson," he added hastily when everyone's eyes whipped around to him. "No patches on him. No weapon either. Uniform looks like NID standard."

Sam closed her eyes briefly. "They were tipped off by our impostor back on base." Angrily, she kicked a pebble and watched it dance along the trail of blood. "So they came, most likely were responsible for the damage of the cabin."

Ferretti gestured towards Booker. "Any signs of how he died?"

"Broken neck, sir. Found a trail of blood over there as well."

A flicker of apprehension coursed through Sam. She forced herself to push it down, methodically gathering all the facts she was hearing. "Doesn't mean it's from the colonel. Or from Daniel." Sam's lips pressed together in a grim line. "Does mean though we better hurry."

"We weren't exactly sitting on our thumbs, either, Carter," Ferretti muttered.

"We're not finding them either," countered Sam. She sighed, shaking her head. "Sorry. Just hate thinking our guys are out there…" Sam swallowed. "Possibly seriously hurt." Her eyes wandered back to the trail of blood.

"They do not belong to O'Neill or Daniel Jackson."

Surprised, she glanced over to Teal'c. The alien was crouched over the trail, rubbing his fingers together. Dirt trickled down his fingers, back to the ground.

"The tracks are smaller. Of a female."

Ferretti traded a concerned look with Sam. "Tobias?"

Sam nodded, her face grim. She traced the crimson trail, stopping as he caught sight of another pair, slightly bigger in size, joining up with the smaller footprints.

"Teal'c." Sam pointed to the new set joining Tobias'. "Looks like another may have joined her here."

The Jaffa nodded, his voice grave. "It would appear so. The tracks are fresh. Perhaps they are still-" Teal'c stopped, his eyes whipping to his left. Before Sam could question him, Teal'c's arm lashed out, pounding a young trunk of a tree. It shook.

And down fell one man.

"Don't move!" Ferretti hollered. Everyone leapt back, their rifles already aiming for the newcomer from the sky. Ferretti took a step forward and kicked aside the rifle before the man could make a grab for it.

Sam stared at the man garbed in black and frowned. They looked exactly like the ones who broken into the auxiliary. "Definitely NID," she concluded, then turned back towards Teal'c. "You have to teach us how you do that next time."

Teal'c bowed his head before he glowered towards the NID agent. "Speak," Teal'c ordered. Sam suppressed a shiver at the low tone. It reminded her of when they first met Teal'c in Chulak. "Where are Colonel O'Neill and Daniel Jackson?"

The NID agent spat in his face. He yelped though when Teal'c grabbed him by the collar with a fist. Suddenly, his legs were dangling a foot off the ground.

"Where are they?" Teal'c boomed. He gave the man a violent shake. Sam could have sworn she heard teeth rattle.

The agent wheezed, alarmed eyes flew to Sam. She stood there with her arms folded.

"You know," she told him in a mild voice. "I would tell him."

"I d-don't know," gasped the agent. "W-we're still looking for them, too!"

Ferretti snorted. "And what were you going to do **after **you found them, huh? Gonna—"

"Down!" Teal'c suddenly shouted as he heard something. Everyone began to scramble, lunging for trees or any cover.

Sam threw herself to the ground. Almost immediately, something zipped by her so fast, her ears stung with the sharp sound. She raised her head and saw a few dark figures running away.

"Anderson! Watch our friend here!" Ferretti barked, his rifle swinging left and right as he tried to find a target. "Booker, James, you're with me!" He shook his head at Sam. "You get to that trail, major. Find the colonel and Daniel. Leave the others to us, okay?"

Sam nodded, clamping her hands over her own weapon. She gave a brusque bob of her head towards Teal'c. The Jaffa lifted his nose towards the agent, still tight in his grasp. Abruptly, he dropped the agent, who fell in a clumsy heap to the ground, scrambling up to his knees only to find Anderson's own rifle barrel inches from his nose.

Teal'c studied the trail for a second as Sam reshouldered her rifle, looking towards the direction the others took off on.

The Jaffa motioned to Sam. "This way." Teal'c pointed to the east and took off.

Sam gave one more look to the agent, glaring at him before she went after Teal'c.


	35. Time Out

Jack glowered at his leg. _Great going, bucko_. He sat there, feeling the dampness of the soil seeping into the seat of his pants, wondering when he lost control of the whole situation.

For a little over an hour, Jack had spent the time staring at the back of Daniel's neck, speculating on why Daniel was being more stubborn than usual. And believe him, there was a gauge for these things when one works with a guy who tends to swoon and drool over the dustiest, tiniest rocks Jack had ever walked his boots over. Jack trailed behind him, counting how many times Daniel was finally forced to reveal his tired limp, had his arms wrapped around his middle to ward off the despair and dejection that hung over him like a cloak. It was a gesture Daniel hadn't done in a long time and one Jack most certainty didn't miss. And they all summed up to bad. Very bad.

After Jack counted past fourteen "I'm fine", ten flinches, and six self-hugs, Jack had enough and was ready to reach over and shake Daniel until the guy told Jack what was bothering him.

Then, he tripped.

Okay, maybe not tripped, but the tree root hidden under the thick carpet of grass and weeds certainly took him by surprise. Unfortunately, Daniel mistook it as his leg injury was to blame.

"I can't believe I completely forgot it. Is it still bleeding? Are you feeling lightheaded?" Guilt paled Daniel's face. Berating himself, Daniel hobbled over, kneeled down, and examined Jack with a flurry of hands.

Jack batted Daniel's hands away and settled his on the younger man's shoulders. Shit, Daniel was gasping like he ran down the whole mountain. "Easy. I'm alright. Just didn't see that damn tree." Jack grimaced. Actually, his leg really did hurt like hell now.

"Hold still," Daniel murmured as he tugged at the rip on Jack's slacks. With a purr, the fabric tore easily and he probed at the laceration. Jack made a face. Damn, he hadn't realized how long the wound was. It spanned around his thigh muscle like a neat slice.

"It's not bleeding," Daniel breathed out, relieved. He rocked back on his heels and nearly toppled over when Jack tugged at Daniel's left sleeve, pulling the younger man off his feet. Daniel tottered, then suddenly sitting on the ground with an "Oof." And a hissed, "Jack!"

Jack motioned towards the landscape, the trees bending at a slant downhill, boulders of granite and limestone protruding from the ground, topped with grass. He wiped his hand across his brow. "Ground's a little steeper from here on in. Looks like we may be near some highway soon. Might as well take a break here. Some good cover here." Jack studied the other man. Actually, Daniel could use the break more, he determined.

Daniel didn't seem too happy with the idea. "I can keep going. Jack, we need to get back, unless…" He drifted off, his gaze wandering over to Jack's leg. "Are you feeling tired?"

Jack was about to give him a negative, but paused. "A little," he lied. Jack was glad to see Daniel settling back down, no longer trying to stand up.

The archeologist hobbled a few inches over to duck behind one particularly large outcrop, the natural formation covering his shoulders when he sank down. He sat on the incline with great careful, biting back the sharp hiss of pain, but Jack wasn't fooled. "I can stand watch. Do you want to lie back for a while or something?" Daniel asked, keeping his voice low, his eyes kept darting nervously towards their surroundings.

Shaking his head, Jack countered with "Do you?" He didn't believe the small shake of Daniel's head. "You sure?"

Daniel's lower lip stuck out. "I'm sure." He sat there, leaning against the large stone with its ripples of quartz. He barely noticed the hard surface, rubbing his arms, and staring at the ground.

Frustrated, Jack muttered a "Fine" and let himself fall back on the damp grass besides him. He stared at the sky peeking through the thick cover of trees.

_"What do you want?" _

_"I'm uh...uh...I'm not sure, to tell you the truth. I'm here to talk, I guess."_

_So where's the talking now_, Jack thought. He glanced sideways at Daniel, who was staring vacantly into space, one hand still curled around his injured arm.

"How is it?" Jack asked quietly. He tried to be casual about it, but his chest ached watching Daniel shy away from him each time he tried to check.

"Huh?" Daniel's eyes focused and squinted towards Jack.

"Your arm."

Daniel looked down as if he just remembered. "Fine." He lowered his hand. "Hurts…a little," he confessed.

Jack turned his face towards Daniel. "How that happen?"

Daniel's face shuttered. "Um, it was when I…tried to escape."

"What?" Jack shot up. He forced himself to keep from shouting. "Escaped?"

"What? You didn't think I would try?" Daniel whispered in a tight voice. He sniffed, his voice growing raspy. He covered it by peering around the boulder, checking for anyone approaching.

Jack leaned forward and whispered "You know I didn't mean it that way."

"Don't really know anymore," muttered Daniel.

"What the hell did that mean?" Jack stared at him. His blood grew cold as he thought how desperate Daniel must have felt if he decided not to wait. His mouth ran dry. Didn't Daniel think…Jack pushed up further on his elbows and scooted over to his friend. Daniel fidgeted uneasily, his back curved forward as he fingered his right sleeve without touching the wound. He wouldn't meet Jack's gaze. "What, didn't you think I was going to come and get you?"

"No," Daniel sounded bitter. _No_, Jack realized. Daniel sounded sad. "No, I knew you probably would. Like you always do. You probably didn't even consider I might try and escape on my own. Always forced to help me-" Daniel broke off and shook his head. "Never mind. Forget I said anything."

"No way."

Daniel blinked towards Jack, hearing the harsh low tone.

Jack bunched his fists and thumped the ground. "Daniel, you can't tell me you want me to sit back next time someone tries to—"

"To what?" Daniel shot back. "Til someone kidnaps me again? Til I fall for another gullible trap? Til—" He took a deep breath, averting his eyes. "No wonder you didn't try to tell m-" Daniel trailed off, too low for Jack to decipher.

Jack stared at him. "Try to what? What?"

"Nothing." Daniel fell silent.

"Daniel."

"I think I'll rest my eyes for a second after all," Daniel abruptly whispered under his breath. He drew up his knees and folded his arms on top of them. "Not too long though. We have to head back, Jack." He lowered his head into the circle of his arms. "Sam, Teal'c, everyone might not know yet. He might even be…" He trailed off, refusing to hazard a guess what might be happening.

Jack sat there, staring at his outstretched legs, wondering if he tried kicking the tree angling up in front of him, would it hurt the damn plant or him more?

_"That stuff I was talking about...at my house..."_

That stuff, as Jack had so cavalierly categorized it, had done more damage than he thought. Worried, he looked across to Daniel, still sitting curled up with his face hidden with his good arm draped over his eyes. The archeologist failed to fool Jack he was sleeping, his breathing too short, too quick to pull the deceit off. Jack swallowed the lump away from his throat.

_"Uh...the place was bugged. I had to keep up the act."_

Too good of an act. Jack wanted to walk over there and shake some sense into Daniel, scream and shout "It was all an act! Why would you believe I can even be that kind of an ass?", but screaming and shouting, even if their situation wasn't so precarious, wouldn't help. And besides, Jack **was **supposed to make it believable in order to pull it off. But damn it…

_"I...uh...understand, really..." _

No, Daniel didn't. Damn it. Daniel didn't at all. It was back to those small smiles, the fake sounding "I'm okay", and the distance Jack never realized bothered him so much until now.

_"And obviously the whole friendship thing, the foundation, it's all solid." _

What a bunch of crock. Jack curled, then uncurled his hands. Even before everything happened, Jack really wasn't sure what to say. He figured a quiet dinner, a game of chess and everything would simply fall back to status quo, slip back into place and all would be well in the universe. He hadn't realized Daniel had all these doubts running around eroding him away from the inside. His throat ached for the right words to say. What could Jack do? Say sorry? Jack almost snorted out loud. Sure, that would heal all. Not.

The sun glinted into his eyes between the trees overhead, small spots of light like lasers zeroing in on his face. Jack squinted, bringing up a hand to block its harshness. It was a blunt reminder the day was passing quickly. Taking their time trailing behind everyone had been time consuming, time Jack feared he and Daniel really couldn't spare.

_Carter's a smart girl and Teal'c ain't exactly have his head in the sand_, Jack tried to assure himself. _They'll figure it out. Hell, Teal'c's probably scaring the shit off the mole with his patented glare as we speak._

A tiny cough Daniel tried to cover with a fist caught Jack's attention. But when Jack arched an eyebrow towards him, the archeologist simply turned his head, pretending to rest. Jack worked his jaw, fighting the urge to hit something.

The two men stayed where they were, Daniel wedged in closely against Jack's hip and the boulder he was masking behind. Every so often, Jack would look over the natural formation, checked around, then sink back down to his spot. Daniel would be waiting, apprehensive eyes that didn't quite relax even after Jack nodded it was all clear.

The silence between them was maddening. Jack sat there, working his jaw, listening to the wildlife around them chirp, howl, cluck and freaking howl, unaffected by the fact they were being chased by a hell of a lot of people with bigger guns then theirs. It drove him nuts. Jack was tempted to take a good-sized rock and toss it at the treetops. Yeah, think they wouldn't hear that? He sat back, momentarily at a loss for words on what to do next. He raised his hand and massaged his temples wearily. The colonel made a face when he felt his stomach gurgle.

"Steak. Medium rare," Jack suddenly said.

Daniel lifted a heavy head and stared at Jack. "What?" Daniel wiped the bottom of his chin with his sleeve. He grimaced. He could feel the grit in his sweater.

"Steak," the colonel repeated with unusual patience. "I said steak." He glanced around the area, making sure their voices weren't too loud. He dropped his head lower and amended "Steak and some of those red potatoes with the bacon."

"What?" Daniel parroted again. What was Jack talking about?

"When we get back." Stretching his arms, Jack rubbed the back of his neck. "When we get back, I'm going to that new steakhouse up on Fifth and order the biggest steak they got. Ferretti swears by them. Said he was going to marry the chef." He smirked. "Until Anderson checked it out and told him the chef was a he."

A small smile tugged at Daniel's lips. "That good, huh?"

"Said it tasted like the cow just up and died on the grill for him."

Daniel shook his head. "Sounds appetizing." He rubbed his hands on his legs. Daniel wished it were a bit warmer. Shouldn't it be warmer by now? He gazed up at the sky. The sun was very high above them. Afternoon? Daniel breathed out, surprised to see white condensation escape his lips.

"How about you?"

"Huh?" Daniel turned his head. Jack appeared sideways to him, his face expectant.

"What do you want when you get back?"

Daniel's stomach growled. He offered a pained smile and faced upwards towards the sky. "Steak sounds good. If they have a nice apple pie, it would be great," he admitted slowly. "Although, right now, **anything** sounds good." Jack frowned. "Daniel, it's been a little over two days. Did they even offer to…?" He grit his teeth when Daniel shook his head. "Not even a drop of water?"

Daniel moved his shoulders up and let them drop slowly. "She said she would rather see me starve."

"I see."

At the words spoken through clenched teeth, Daniel's gaze flew up to Jack. "I'm alright, Jack."

"Sure," Jack forced out. "I'll be, too once I get my hands on him again." _And while I'm at it, go find her, too._

"Again?"

Jack flexed his hands for show. "He told me you were dead," Jack seethed. He wiggled his fingers, remembering. "Showed him what I thought of his report."

"Oh."

Leaning forward, Jack rested his elbows on his knees, his eyes hooded and angry. "I'll kill him."

Alarmed, Daniel's eyes glued to Jack. The colonel's gaze held flint as he brooded over Daniel's words.

"Jack…don't." There was a faint tremor in Daniel's voice.

"Huh?" Jack turned halfway and looked down at Daniel. The younger man's lower lip stuck out as he turned his face away.

"You don't have to feel like you have to…," whispered Daniel. He squeezed his eyes shut. "Don't keep acting like I'm your responsibility."

"Like hell you aren't," hissed Jack, his voice rough with self-reproach. He worked his jaw, rotating it from side to side. It was his fault Daniel got snatched up to lure Jack away.

For some reason, a glazed look of despair spread over Daniel's ashen face. The archeologist swallowed, rolling over to his side, turning his back on Jack.

Confused, Jack gaped at the hunched back. He stared at his hands, rubbing them on his thighs, wincing as his injury reminded him how far more they may still have to go. What the hell? Jack reached out a hand, but the back practically screamed of desolation. He retracted his hand and slumped forward. The two sat there, hidden in the dense bushes. Jack listened to the birds cawing, the wind howling sorrowfully as it blew past.

Jack flicked a piece of shale off his boot. "Uh…wanna go…check it out?"

What? Daniel diverted his attention back to Jack.

The older man shrugged. "That steakhouse. When we get home." He shook a finger at Daniel as if he thought Daniel was going to refute that. "We could go check it out and then…uh…" Jack shrugged again. He picked up a twig, twirling it in his hands. "There's still that chess game we never finished."

"Oh."

It was like standing at Daniel's office all over again. "Oh?"

"Uh, I mean, sure…when we get back." Daniel moved his left arm up and shut the sun away from his eyes. "When we get back."

Jack watched the exposed throat swallow, the Adam's apple moving up and down. "That's not gonna happen, is it?" Jack murmured sadly.

Daniel lowered his arm and stared at him.

Waving a hand to himself, then towards Daniel, Jack felt tired, very, very tired. "We're gonna head back, make our reports and you're going to do that vanishing act again in your office, aren't you?"

"I don't-"

"Bullshit," Jack cut in harshly. "That's bull and you know it."

Daniel fell to silence.

Berating himself, Jack clamped his mouth shut. _That was real smooth, O'Neill. Is it any wonder you're not leading the diplomatic teams instead?_

"Why couldn't you tell us? Why did you have to…"

Jack almost missed the softly spoken question. "What?"

Daniel appeared to have changed his mind. He shook his head and unsteadily got to his feet. "Never mind. Are you set? Maybe we should get going—"

"Daniel."

The archeologist stopped.

"I had my orders. No one else could know." Jack sat there, watching Daniel's shoulders drop lower.

"And you just agreed to it?" Daniel wouldn't look at Jack. His face was hooded in shadow. "Just said okay and went and did it."

"Daniel, they were going to—"

"Pull out of the alliance, I know," interrupted Daniel. "I understand that. But why-"

"Why what?" Jack eased back up on his feet, hopping slightly on one leg. He winced, it felt like maybe a tendon was damaged. Great. "Daniel, why what?"

"Back at your place," Daniel began. "Why that way? Why didn't you just…" Daniel stopped. Uncertainty flickered in his eyes. Daniel shrugged. "No, forget it. I was just wondering." He reached out a hand to Jack. "Come on, you could try leaning on me again."

"My place was bugged, Daniel. I told you that."

Daniel's hand dropped. "You could have just not let me in. But you didn't. You felt like you had to say…" He couldn't finish, shaking his head. "Come on," Daniel said quietly. "Let's go."

Jack stared at the hand Daniel offered. "Daniel."

"Jack." The quiet plea made the colonel look up. He met the weary gaze head on. "We have to go."

Scowling, Jack dropped his head and sighed. He reached out his hand when he heard the distant click. "Down!" he barked.

Daniel whipped up his head. He didn't hear the click, but he heard Jack. Daniel dove away in the opposite direction of Jack, just before the ground spit up in sharp successions.

"Get behind some cover!" Jack hollered. He snapped back his head behind a tree as bullets spat a line inches away from his face.

Daniel barely had time to duck behind the same boulder he was rest on before. He lay there, gasping, listening as Jack fired off a shot. It was all they have. One gun. Only one gun. Daniel flinched as a shot got close to his ear.

"Stay down!"

_I'm trying_, Daniel thought as another ricocheted off the ground. He winced as dirt flew up.

"Missed me, civie?" a voice echoed out in the woods. It seemed to come from all sides.

Daniel closed his eyes. "Not really," he muttered. He tossed a worried look over to Jack. The colonel was beet-red, craning his neck to see if he can sight her.

"Give it up, Tobias!" Jack barked out. "Your own personal clean up crew dropped by the cabin before. Neumann's probably caught by now or dead. You can still come with u- shit!" Jack lunged to the side, drawing his legs up as the ground exploded in a dozen little holes.

"Jack!"

Jack waved to the archeologist that he was okay. He waved even more frantically when he realized Daniel looked like he was going to run over.

"You think I really care anymore?" Tobias screamed out. Her voice echoed loud into the forest. Jack grimaced. If those guys hadn't heard the gunshots before, they probably would hear that. "One of you are going to take me to that second Stargate and get me off this ungrateful planet!" More shots, this time at Daniel's direction. Now it was Daniel's turn to slam down hard on the ground, hands over his head as the shots volleyed off his cover. "I don't need you both. Which one will it be?"

Jack fired another shot in the general direction. Tobias' rifle fell silent. He slid back down the tree. With a hard yank, he pulled out the clip. He stared at it in dismay.

Three left.

"Jack?" Daniel shouted as he saw the colonel jerked back after another shot carved a hole in the tree above his head.

Jack waved three fingers at Daniel and pointed to the gun. Daniel stilled. The archeologist knew the implications of that. Three bullets were not enough to go against an assault rifle. Daniel waved wildly at Jack, pointing to a direction looping around Tobias. Come at her from behind? Jack shook his head vehemently at the proposal. Daniel got shakily up on his knees as if he wanted to try, flinching, as Jack hissed a "No way" to Daniel making violent slashing motions across his throat. Jack did **not** want to take the chance.

"Which one, huh? Which one?" Tobias grew louder and louder, rivaling the rapid fire of her rifle. Daniel bodily threw himself down again. Jack watched helplessly as Daniel's leg twitched, drawing in closer to avoid the shots.

Jack stared at the forest. Where, where, where- there! He could see a shadow, darker than the others, running left and right, light from her rifle flashed sporadically. He gripped the gun tightly and fired off a shot.

Tobias grunted in the distance and the shadow dropped out of sight.

Lowering the handgun, Jack stared at the distance. Did he get her?

"Okay, colonel…that's enough."

Jack spun around with his gun again and froze.

Neumann stood there, his handgun pressed firmly on Daniel's temple, dimpling the skin. The younger man looked miserably at Jack, mouthing "Sorry" at him as he laid there on the ground.

"Back where we started, huh, sir?" Neumann shifted and the pistol clicked as the trigger locked. Red rimmed eyes glued to Jack's face. "Drop it, colonel. Now."

"Jack, don't—" Daniel grunted when Neumann kicked him hard from behind. Danielfell forward smacking into the ground. .

"Should have just let Tobias have you. Stubborn geek," Neumann muttered, missing the murderous look on Jack's face. His rifle came back up and stayed a spot over Jack's chest. "Drop the gun, colonel. Cooperate or just watch me blow his brains out." He tapped the gun on Daniel's head once more. "Your choice."

"You know," Daniel gasped out. "I'm getting sick and tired of everyone thinking they can use me like some kind of pawn." He met Jack's eyes. Jack's eyes widened.

_Shit, Daniel. Don't do what I think you're planning to do._

Neumann chuckled. "I bet you are, Jackson." The rogue suddenly fell backwards as Daniel kicked out at his ankles.

"Daniel!" Jack shot up to his feet, horrified to see Neumann and Daniel struggle for control of the rifle. Jack raised his gun, ready to fire. Frustrated, he couldn't get a shot, Jack lowered it. "Daniel, back away from him. I can't get a clear shot." Jack grunted as gunfire zipped by. Tobias. He felt something slammed into his left leg hard, exploding in the back of his thigh and he toppled. The gun tumbled out of numb hands before he could catch it. Everything flared up to a wall of red. He didn't see where the firearm went as everything then turned to gray.

"Jack!"

Daniel! Jack struggled to stand. His leg detonated into a massive wall of pain and he fell back to the ground. He grunted as shots pocked the ground parallel to him. The female rogue's laugh was high as Jack jerked back when another shot got too close. He tried to reach for the gun only to snap his hand back when a bullet spew dirt, making the gun jump a little.

"Tobias! What the hell are you doing? Just shoot him! Shoot him!" Neumann shouted at the female rogue in the distance. He whipped around sharply as Daniel lunged for the dropped gun. "Oh no you, don't!" The rogue snarled, his handgun swinging down. Daniel cried out as it landed squarely on his back, sending him sprawling next to Jack.

"Son of a—" Jack exploded from the ground, using the agony to fuel his feet. With a roar, he bodily threw himself on Neumann before the rogue could fire his weapon. A shot rang out in the air as Jack slammed a fist over Neumann's wrist to disarm him.

"Jack!" Daniel flinched as Tobias diverted her aim to him now. One shot splintered the tree next to him, the other sent shards flying as it struck the boulder.

"Get out of here! Go!" Jack hollered.

Daniel couldn't respond, his arm covering his face as Tobias let loose a barrage of gunfire, spitting up wood splinters and shards of rock all around him.

"Daniel!" Jack clamped down on Neumann's hand, and grunted, his head snapping back as Neumann pistol-whipped the colonel right across the cheek. Jack crumpled to the ground with a groan.

Neumann swore violently, his gun lashing out to fire at Jack, who laid there, squinting in a daze. No! Daniel went scrambling for the gun he spied on the dirt, heedless of Tobias wildly firing towards his direction.


	36. The Bishop

"Goodbye, colonel." Neumann said coldly, squeezing the trigger just as Daniel grabbed the gun.

Three shots fired out in one simultaneous roar and then, everything went silent.

Jack heard the vibrations even through the ground. Fuzzy, he knew something was wrong. Very wrong. No one was talking. All the gunfire had ceased. Jack groaned, getting up as far as his shoulders.

Neumann stood there, a stunned look on his face. He looked down blankly at the growing red spot on his chest, then back towards Jack's direction. The gun he held fell from his grasp.

"Jackso—" he garbled before collapsing right where he stood.

Jack forced himself to sit up further, clawing the tree he was originally hiding behind. He groaned as his leg folded under him, refusing to keep him upright. "Daniel?" Where was he? Frantically, he tried to turn his head to check, but a wave of nausea caused him to bang his head on the tree to stop himself from sliding back down to the ground again.

Everything was so quiet.

Jack could hear garbled shouting, first sounding far away, then close, then far away again. He thought he could pluck out Carter and Teal'c's voices, but someone else wasn't saying anything. A chill shivered up and down his spine as the silence grew too long.

"Daniel?" he croaked out. God, please don't let that third shot had been-

"O'Neill!"

"Eh?" Jack raised his head and saw Carter, two of them in fact, waving at them, one hand resting on her assault rifle. Next to her, Teal'c had someone in his grasp. Tobias, Jack realized, was screeching, cursing, struggling in the Jaffa's grip. But Carter didn't look at the rogue's way. She was staring at-

Daniel. Oh God.

"Daniel?" Jack croaked out again, twisting around to the boulder where Daniel was. The archeologist was standing now, leaning on its surface, the gun limp in his hands.

"Is he dead? I think he's dead," Daniel said numbly. His eyes were dull, unseeing. "I think I shot him." His voice slurred as he struggled to stand straight.

"Sir," Carter had reached Jack first, stretching out a hand to pull him up. Jack hopped on his good leg, fumbling as he grabbed any handhold to reach Daniel. Wisely, Carter took a step back, only helping Jack limp over to the dazed archeologist.

"Hey," Jack murmured. The world wavered in and out of focus. Glazed blue eyes lifted towards him.

"He was going to shoot you." Daniel sounded positively wispy. He blinked furiously, but clearly the effort to stay awake was eroding away now that the danger was gone.

Jack nodded. His leg trembled with the effort of keeping him standing. "Yeah." Jack swallowed, extending out a hand. He tensed, forcing his hand to stay steady. Whoa. Bad head trip here. Everything was starting to fade in and out. Not good. Jack stretched out his hand further, towards where he thought he saw the gun. "It's over. Why don't you give me the gun, Daniel?"

"Gun?" Daniel looked blankly at the weapon he was still holding, blinking at the barrel as he pointed it up.

Oh crap. Jack could see the fine tremors growing. Daniel was reaching his end of the rope. Jack mustered up a smile, wiggling his fingers at the gun. "Why don't you let me have it and we go home?"

"Home?" sighed Daniel.

"Yeah," Jack choked. "Home." Gently, he pried the gun out of Daniel's fingers, handing it to Carter with a breath of relief. Daniel stood there, swaying, staring at his hand. Where did the gun go?

"You did good, buddy," Jack whispered. He ignored the clamor of noise behind him as the rest of Carter's reinforcements arrived. Tobias screaming in the background made Daniel cringe, his shoulders rounded as he flinched. Jack stumbled closer to Daniel. The younger man blearily looked up at him. "It's over, Daniel. Come on, let's go home."

"Okay." Daniel dropped his hands. He tried to straighten up, lift his head higher, but then his knees buckled.

"Daniel!" Jack caught the younger man neatly in his arms, but his own legs decided to quit then and the two men dropped to the floor. Jack gritted his teeth as his leg seized, but he kept his hold on Daniel.

"I can watch your back," Daniel mumbled. His hand flopped weakly towards Jack. "Don't need to…send me away ag-gain…."

Jack nodded against the head thumping against his shoulder. He ignored everyone's questions, the activity around him. All he cared about was it was over and Daniel was okay. His heart hammered wildly, remembering seeing Daniel lunge for the gun, knowing either Neumann or Tobias would be waiting once the other falls. He bowed his head, feeling the light fringe scratching at his chin. "Yeah, Daniel. You did good, buddy."

"Sir?" Carter's face watered before him.

Tiredly, Jack smiled. "I suppose telling you now Davis is probably not Davis is a bit too late now, huh?"

The blurry head nodded. "General Hammond just radioed. Major Davis managed to escape from his captors a few hours ago. He sounded very annoyed but otherwise fine."

"There were a few others, out here," Jack couldn't seem to get the words out.

"Already taken care of. Teal'c sort of…um…found one of them. Ferretti's taking them back as we speak."

"Oh." Jack tried to put the words together. What Carter was saying was good, right? He struggled when he felt someone trying to pull Daniel away. "No!"

"O'Neill, we need to take Daniel Jackson to help." Teal'c. It was Teal'c.

"Hey, big guy," Jack slurred. He tightened his hold on Daniel anyway. The younger man's head bumped against his shoulder. "How about we go home, now?"

"As you wish, O'Neill." Teal'c gently pried Daniel away. Jack's arms felt oddly empty now.

"Good," Jack garbled. For some reason, Carter and Teal'c looked lopsided. "Cause I don't know about you, but I could use a frigging nap."

With that said, Jack toppled forward before anyone could catch him and the world went black.


	37. Game Over?

Jack opened his eyes and saw the stupid machine next to him blink green digits at him, the pillow his head was on a small rise just peering within his vision. Hm…looks familiar. He checked the walls. White. Okay. He took a sniff. Argh. Yup, definitely the infirmary. He wiggled his fingers. Ah. Good. He tried his toes. Ouch, okay that wasn't smart. His leg felt like someone was sadistically poking a fork at him. But at least he can feel his leg stretched out on the bed. Super. He moved his mouth, working his jaw. Felt like he swallowed glue. Head felt all gritty and sweaty. And he wanted a shower. Well, that meant he was alive at least. Got tubes stuck up in unspeakable places, but he was alive.

"N-no…"

He frowned. It sounded like Daniel. He tried to turn his head, but his neck had stiffened to the elasticity of a board.

Blankets rustled off to Jack's right. Metal clanging as the bed creaked. "J-jack…"

Jack was considering how he was going to roll off this damn bed and get to his friend even if he had to crawl when he heard a chair scrape against tile.

"Sh…Daniel, it's okay."

Carter.

Jack calmed down as he heard Daniel quieting. With a soft sigh, Daniel fell silent. And then-

"Sam?"

The smile was audible in Carter's voice. "Hey, sleepy head. Welcome back." Jack could hear her shushing Daniel. "Relax. Janet said you were severely dehydrated and exhausted. If you feel nauseous, I have to go get Janet."

"H-how—"

"Hm?"

_How long. He's asking how long_, Jack thought. He was wondering, too.

"Daniel, I don't understand."

Jack could hear Daniel press his lips together before rasping out "H-how long?"

_See? Told ya._

Only the slight tremor in Carter's voice betrayed how long she and Teal'c must have waited. "You had a pretty high fever from infection for a while there." She paused and slowly added "Two days."

_Holy shit! Two days?_ Jack blinked. It was all he could manage. Everything felt like it was encased in cement.

"J-jack."

"Colonel came to a couple of times. Cursed at us, asking what took us so long, where was his newspaper, and fell back to sleep."

"L-leg?"

"Huh?"

_Leg, Carter, he's asking about my leg. _Jack would have rolled his eyes if he didn't think they were currently glued in right now. He ran his tongue over his lips. Did someone pour sand down his throat?

"Oh, his leg. He's fine, Daniel. Had surgery on the leg. The second bullet didn't hit bone. He's going to be okay. You needed a quite a few stitches on that arm. Pretty bad infection for a while there, Daniel." The bed creaked as Carter must have sat down on the edge of it. "How are you feeling?"

"Thirsty." Daniel audibly smacked his lips. His voice was barely higher than a whisper. "May I have some water, please?"

Jack could hear the scrape of a metal spoon clinking against glass. He smacked his own lips. "Janet said ice chips for now, until you're better."

Tiny crunching sounds made Jack smile. _Thanks, Carter_, he thought as he heard the major quietly offer Daniel some more. Jack would have piped up and asked for some as well, but suddenly, Daniel sighed.

"Daniel?"

"Tired." The voice sounded wispy.

Jack frowned into his pillow.

Carter shushed Daniel again. The bed creaked as she moved. "You had us worried there, Daniel. We didn't know where to look at first and—"

"Oh God!"

Jack started. He heard the bed whine as Daniel struggled to get up.

"Daniel, what is it? Lie down. Don't get up."

"Major Davis, no, I mean, he sounded like…Sam, he's—"

"Not Davis, we know."

The bed stilled. "You did?" Daniel breathed out, relieved. "Then the real Major Davis-"

"Is sitting in DC, extremely pissed off that he got bagged in Toronto." Something sounding like awe crept into her voice. "I heard two of his captors will be out of the hospital next week to face charges."

_Whoa, way to go, Davis_.

"At least **he** got away," Daniel said.

Jack's brow knitted together.

"And you figured it out."

Whether Carter picked up on Daniel's mood or not, Jack couldn't tell. "Yeah. We managed to realize what was going on in time. We got a name, too. Airman Philips. General Hammond's getting a task force together to find out how Philips got those devices. Transferred in only two or three months ago. "

"Right about the time the problems began," Daniel concluded faintly.

"Yes. Sort of a backup plan in case Makepeace couldn't pull it off." Carter paused. "It was he who told us where to look."

"Colonel Makepeace?"

_Makepeace? _

"We sort of…convinced him." Carter laughed, but it sounded forced. "They're staying here for a while longer until we can find escorts to take them to DC."

"Sam?"

Carter sounded gentle as she responded. "What is it, Daniel?"

"Did…did you get…um…I remember shooting Neumann, but there was another one with h-him. To…"

"Lieutenant Tobias?"

The bed creaked. "Um…yeah."

"Yes, Daniel. We got her. She's in cell block nine a few levels from us. I was present when they interrogated her." Carter paused. "I don't think she likes me very much."

The bed creaked again. "No, I guess not."

"Hm, I suppose she was a bit resentful not being able to get into the Stargate program and I did." Jack could hear her pouring ice chips into a cup again. "Maybe that's why she joined Maybourne's team instead. I'd read her record and she has a good head for electronics. It is a shame we couldn't have recruited her in the beginning. Maybe she wouldn't have turned out this way." The cup set down loudly. "Daniel? What's the matter?"

_Great going, Carter._ Frowning into his pillow, Jack heard Daniel shift uncomfortably in his bed.

"Do you need me to get Janet?"

"No…tired." Daniel let out a soft sigh.

"Oh." The bed groan as Carter rose. Jack stared at the shadows on the wall in front of him, watching Carter's shade bend forward to Daniel's, one hand stroking his head. "Get some sleep then, Daniel."

"Thanks, Sam."

"Daniel?"

"Hm?" Already, Daniel sounded half-asleep.

"Did you and the colonel ever had a chance to…you know."

"Hm?" Daniel sounded more alert now, struggling to stay awake.

"When you were heading over to the colonel's place, I know…we found your car so I know you never got there. But did you and the colonel ever had a chance to…uh…talk?"

Daniel sighed. "Sam, I was busy being bait, remember?" He sounded bitter. "There really wasn't much time to hold any discussions." The bed grumbled as he shifted in bed.

_No, you just didn't want to talk_, Jack thought. He poked at the mattress underneath him with his index finger. _Damn it._

"Daniel—"

"Sam, really, we're okay." Daniel sounded a little upset, his voice stiff. "Just let it drop. Please?" He yawned. "I'm fine," he said in a small voice.

"Daniel." Now Carter sounded distressed.

"Good night, Sam." Daniel could be heard rolling over, breathing sharply as he must have jostled his arm.

Dejected, Carter replied "Night, Daniel."

Another sigh and Daniel was quiet.

Jack laid there on his side, staring at Carter's shadow on the wall, listening to the rustle of blankets being pulled over Daniel. The major stood over Daniel's bed and Jack suspected she was probably watching him, make sure there were no more nightmares.

_"If you really believe that, I guess uh..."_

Jack mentally referenced his reaction to finding out Makepeace was the mole and compared it to Daniel back at his place.

_"I guess I never really knew you at all."_

He shut his eyes. Damn it. Nowhere even near it. He could still see the stunned look on Daniel's face, his voice lower, hesitant to the point he almost stuttered.

_"So this whole...uh...this whole friendship thing we've been working on the last few years..."_

_Will be okay, I swear_, Jack thought. He heard Carter over his shoulder, sitting back down on the chair.

A set of footsteps strode in. Jack tensed, his fingers flexing for a gun before he remembered there wasn't one anywhere. "Major Carter."

Teal'c. Jack relaxed as he heard Carter rose to her feet in response to the deep timbre. "Hey. Back so soon?"

"I do not need to kel-noreem for the entire evening." Jack watched the larger of the two shadows turned to Daniel. "Has he awaken?"

"For a short time."

"Ah, that is good."

He smiled. Searching his memory, he thought he saw Teal'c, a blurry shadow at the foot of both their beds before. Jack nodded to himself. He knew they were never involved in the conspiracy. Jack wondered briefly if he'd ever told them that. Ever.

"Has O'Neill awaken again?"

"A few times after you left. Told me to hurry up and feed the cat."

_Eh?_

"O'Neill does not own any felines."

"That's what I said." Carter chuckled. "Then he told me I was fired."

"Indeed."

_Freaking painkillers. _Jack grimaced into his covers. _Oh what the hell._ He rolled over, popping open one eye and glared at the pair.

Carter jumped. "Sir! You're awake!" Her eyes nervously darted to Daniel.

"Morning to you too, Carter," Jack groused. He gritted his teeth. Okay, painkillers wouldn't be a bad idea right now. He finally got himself turned to his right side and found himself staring at Daniel's sleeping profile. The archeologist was lying perfectly still, straight like-

_"Because she would know where she'd buried the body."_

"O'Neill?"

Goddamn bitch. And Neumann. He was lucky he wasn't in front of him otherwise he would have-

"Sir?" Carter's face was suddenly inches from his face. "Are you okay?"

Jack waved her away. He pushed back the anger bubbling in his throat before he started breaking stuff. And considering how crappy he was feeling, even ripping a piece of tissue would be a problem right now. "Fine. Swell. Super." He studied Daniel for a moment. Then, with a sigh, he rolled onto his back.

"O'Neill." Teal'c stood at the foot of his bed. Jack had to lift his head to see him. "I am pleased to see you are recovering."

"Yeah. Pretty pleased myself," Jack quipped. He sobered, glancing back to Daniel. "Doc said anything about when we can get out of here?"

"Well, you need to stay for a few days more. Daniel can leave day after tomorrow." Carter paused. "You and Daniel are under standdown until Doctor Fraiser clears you two, sir." She shifted from foot to foot, her hands folded in front of her.

Jack's eyebrow arched up. "Yes, Carter?"

"Uh, just before, did you-"

"Every word."

Carter colored. "Oh." She cleared her throat. "Sir, I didn't mean to pry—"

"Of course you did, Carter," Jack drawled. He watched as Carter flushed, Teal'c's eyebrow going higher and higher. He finally took pity on the major and chuckled dryly. "But that's okay, Carter." Jack grew serious. "And it will be okay, Carter. For all of us."

Carter and Teal'c exchanged a look. Trading small smiles, they glanced back at Jack and nodded.

Jack yawned. "I never thought you guys had anything to do with this." He forced his eyes open wider. "You know that, right?"

Carter hesitated.

"Shit, don't tell me you kids actually thought—"

"Of course not, sir," Carter jumped in quickly. Too quickly.

Jack sighed. "Let me guess…there were times though?"

Reluctantly, Carter nodded.

"God damn it." Jack glowered at Teal'c. "How about you, big guy? Thought I suspected you were working for NID?"

"It is understandable you were under a cloak of secrecy," Teal'c said solemnly. "Thus no one can be trusted. Not even those closest to you."

Jack shook his head. Of course, Teal'c would say that. Jack wondered if it was because of years under Apophis or just in his nature to see things in black and white.

"I get that. I do," Jack muttered. He settled deeper into the bed with the next yawn. "But I want you guys to know…that wasn't the case here. There were people I could trust. If there had ever been a choice," Jack stared at them steadily. "Guess who I was gonna call?"

"Ghostbusters?" Carter joked. At Jack's glare, she smiled. "We know, sir. Thank you. It's good to know."

"Shouldn't have to tell you guys," Jack grumbled as he sank further into lethargy. "It's a gut thing, you know?"

"We understand, O'Neill," rumbled Teal'c. Ah ha. Jack thought he could hear a smile. "But it is gratifying to hear it all the same."

"Well," mumbled Jack, his eyes sliding shut. "I said it. So there. No more question about it, okay?"

"Some do have to be reminded of that from time to time, sir."

Jack's eyes pried open. Unbidden, they wandered to Daniel. His mouth crinkled downward. He nodded. "Yeah, Carter," he murmured softly. "Some need to be reminded everyday."

"Are you?" Walking over, Carter settled her hands over the bed rail. She looked steadily at Jack. "Are you going to be doing some reminding soon?"

Jack was acutely aware of the sleeping form to his right. He could see the rhythmic rise and fall of the chest and found it overwhelmingly reassuring. "What do you think?" returned Jack.

"I think it's about time…sir."

Nodding tiredly, Jack waved Carter off. "You two kiddies go get some sleep. Get some Jello or something. Whatever. Keep me updated on what's going on with those guys in lockup, all right?"

"Yes sir."

"Very well, O'Neill."

"And," Jack added in a grumpy voice as he drifted away. "I didn't tell you to feed my cat." He yawned.

"Of course not, sir."

Carter sounded like she was laughing. Gr. Jack forced one eye open. The major was smiling, standing there. "I d-didn't," he slurred.

"Indeed, O'Neill."

Jack opened his mouth so wide, he thought he heard something popped as he let out one last yawn before rolling to his side. "I was telling ya to feed my fish," he mumbled.

"Right away, sir," Carter replied with a chuckle but it was already too late. Jack was fast asleep.


	38. Your Move

Author's Note: Thank you for your wonderful comments. The story draws a close from here and someone kindly pointed out all my chapter breaks were missing. Grrrrr….My apologies. I hope it wasn't too confusing. I'll have this fixed over the weekend. It was an old story looong ago from this wonderful fanzine called "Gateways" that I'd hoped you enjoy. I'll try posting another this weekend as well. Thank you once again for taking the time reading and reviewing.

Yum

Déjà vu.

Jack stared at the door with the numbers 8-3 on its plate. Daniel surprised everyone by not hanging around the base after he was released from the infirmary. The last time Jack saw Daniel, the archeologist was fumbling with the buttons of a shirt Carter got for him since his sweater was ruined. A feeble "Goodbye" and Daniel caught a ride back home.

That was two days ago.

Jack had been a little hurt Daniel hadn't dropped by to see how he was doing. Or even called to ask Carter. But Teal'c when he came by to see him, mentioned spying Daniel standing out in the hallway leading to the infirmary, pacing a little before finally leaving. Ah ha. Jack felt a bit smug, yet also a bit regretful. During their stay, Jack and Daniel had spent more time sleeping than talking, damn drugs, although Jack did catch Daniel glancing over his way from time to time. They never talked except for the occasionally "Hey" Jack would murmur to him when he spied Daniel waking up with a sudden jolt. His words seem to ground Daniel, who would take the first few seconds to breathe in huge gulps of air before rolling back to sleep. But other than that, Jack could have been rooming with a total stranger—too quiet to be peaceful, yet too noisy with all the nurses coming and going to really try and have a conversation.

For the next few days after Daniel left, Jack laid on the bed, reviewing every catch of conversation they had on that mountain, mentally fitting and refitting the pieces until the puzzle slowly formed an image. And when he got the picture, Jack harassed Fraiser until finally she had enough of him and threw him out of her infirmary a day early. Thank God she let him change out of that damn gown first. Days before, she had hide his civilian clothing, suspecting him trying to bolt. Wonder why?

He leaned on the cane Fraiser threatened to tie to his leg if he didn't use it until the stitches came out and adjusted his hold on the bags he had. The colonel had an odd parallel universe, Twilight Zone, where's Rod Sterling, kind of sensation. He knew Daniel was home.

Contemplating the door again, Jack counted to three and raised his fist. Then he lowered it. Growling at himself, he raised it again.

_Damn it, don't do this crap again. That's how you got into this mess in the first place. Buck up and charge!_

On the word "charge", Jack connected his fist with the door. Loudly. Er. **Too** loudly. Jack darted a look to the side at the neighbor who peered cautiously out her door.

Jack pretended to tip an imaginary hat at the elderly woman. "Ma'am," he drawled. Geez, the little old lady winked back and giggled before slipping back inside. He shook his head and turned back to the door. Uh…

No one was opening the door.

Jack gave it a quick knock again. "Daniel?"

Nothing.

The skin on the back of his neck prickled. Jack knew Daniel was in before. And knowing the archeologist, he would be content to hole up in his apartment for days when he was in a dark mood. So he was home. Definitely home.

Jack pressed his ear to the door. No shouting. Okay, that's good. He-

Something inside broke. Glass shattering.

"Shit." Jack wrapped his fist over the doorknob. Locked. Of course it was locked. But Jack furiously jiggled it anyway as his ears picked up the faint sounds of struggling. Shit! He fumbled around his pockets. He knew he had- ah ha! He grimly whipped out the small packet and picked out the right tool- the thin wire with the hook. His hands fumbled as he stuck it into the lock. He wasn't trying to be quiet now. Speed was of the essence this time. The apartment was quiet now after the glass. Jack felt the wire snap in half, but the knob did turn.

The door flung open, Jack rushed in, the bags dropped to the carpet, and Jack swung his cane up at-

No one.

Wary, Jack kept his cane in head level, ready to bash someone's skull in. He crept into the foyer, nudging the door shut with his shoulder. Hobbling, he proceeded down the narrow strip of space.

A soft groan made Jack jerk his cane up higher before he realized there was only one person in the living space- Daniel.

The younger man was across the couch, his sling tangled around his arm like a bind, his sweats twisted around his torso. Daniel moaned, his head thrashing, his arms flailing, waving past the remains of a mug and its water a dark stain on the decorated rug below.

Jack dropped his cane, already veering around the mess and crouched down on the couch by Daniel.

Daniel tensed as if he could sense the newcomer. "No." He lashed out his hands, his eyes shut tight behind glasses maimed in the dream's abuse.

Jack caught the hands neatly, carefully avoiding grasping at the bruised wrists too tightly. "It's alright," Jack soothed. He rubbed at the scraped knuckles in his hands. It seemed to upset Daniel more. The younger man cried out, his legs kicking. One kick sent the book on the nearby coffee table flying across the room.

God. Jack's stomach twisted at the panic that sent Daniel writhing violently on the couch.

_"Because she would know where she'd buried the body."_

With a frustrated cry, Jack pulled his friend into his arms, shushing into Daniel's ear. It didn't happen. Neumann was lying out of his ass. Daniel managed to get out before it could have happened.

"You're safe now," Jack murmured to the struggling body. He spared a glance at the coffee table next to him, noting the prescription of painkillers Fraiser had given him and Daniel. Jack avoided taking them because they made him sleepy but apparently, that didn't deter the younger man. Jack rubbed his chin against the damp head. "Come on, Danny. Come out of it. It's over. Listen to me. It's over. No one is going to come near you. I won't let them, okay? Sh…"

Jack chanted over and over again, not even aware of the fact he was rocking the younger man, arms wrapped around Daniel loosely so he wouldn't hurt himself and waited.

Eventually, Daniel calmed down- whether because he heard Jack deep down or exhaustion finally sapped the rest of his strength away, and his head rolled back, landing on the hollow of Jack's shoulder, his glasses a crooked slant against Jack's shirt.

Breathing out a sigh of relief, Jack sat there, not willing to let go just yet. With two fingers, he gently wiped across Daniel's brow to check for fever. Beads of perspiration tickled down from his touch, trailing his jaw in a facade of tears. Jack stopped rocking the younger man, sitting there drawing in lungfuls of air through his mouth, and exhaling slowly. Finally, Jack found his fingers loosened their steel vise and would consider releasing his friend. He dipped his head down towards Daniel.

"Think you can sleep now, buddy?" murmured Jack. Carefully, he lowered Daniel back on the couch, tugging the sweatshirt back down, covering the sickening blotches of yellowing bruises and spots of burns. Jack clenched his jaw, shoving the anger back. Wasn't going to help here. No.

Daniel stirred, a frown wrinkling his brow. He sighed, turning his face towards Jack's palm as the older man cupped his face, guiding it to lie over one of the throw pillows, carefully plucking out the eyewear before Daniel wiggled deeper into the couch, his head settling into the tiny pillow. Daniel murmured something, it sounded foreign, before rolling to his left. He winced in his sleep as his right arm fell over his middle.

Jack adjusted the arm, untangling the sling for later. He sat back on the couch, his hip just above Daniel's head. His breath came out in a whoosh. For a moment, he had thought—

_"They take down my men, I take down yours." _

But he didn't. Jack sat there staring at the ceiling, rotating the glasses with his fingers, listening to Daniel breathe. The pace was slow, steady and was like balm to his heart, smoothing away the tight tension that he hadn't known had been thrumming since he picked up the phone and heard Neumann on the other side. Daniel was alright. The basic priority and crisis dealt with, now Jack was left with the big, hanging question from since the beginning. After a while, he folded the eyewear neatly and set it on the coffee table where Daniel can see them, struggled off the couch and eyed the bags he had left at the door.

_Time to repair some foundations_, he thought, already rolling up his sleeves as he hobbled for the bags.

It was the strangest dream he'd ever had.

Daniel had decided to let the pills work and let it provide the sleep he couldn't find in the days since he'd left the infirmary. The couch looked more inviting than the trip all the way to the bedroom, so he lay down with a book, his feet stretched out and let the anthropology article and the drugs cradle him to sleep.

But then, he began to remember. And dream.

_Hands crawling all over him. Eyes glowing. No, they weren't glowing. But they could have. Couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. Alone. Help. No one to help._

Daniel shuddered and hugged the pillow he felt by his arms, close to him. Sneering, taunting voices assaulted him until he couldn't breathe. Couldn't draw a breath. Daniel told them no, he wasn't weak, he wasn't! He could be of help! He could be trusted!

_"Not much of a found—"_

His own voice, Jack's voice, everyone was screaming at him. Not enough. Not good enough to keep. Utter misery, sheer loneliness hurt like a knife twisting deep into the flesh. And Daniel cried out.

_"You're safe now…" _

Somewhere, a voice came, washed over him like cool water.

_"Come on, Danny. Come out of it. It's over. Listen to me. It's over. No one is going to come near you. I won't let them, okay? Sh…"_

All the demons fled. Their claws retracted. Daniel sighed. Empty space, even the echoes were gone. And he floated away, to a deeper sleep. To a level of unawareness he hadn't experienced in quite some time.

But now, he smelled…smoke?

Daniel groaned. His arm was beginning to hurt again. Those pills weren't really much help. He shuffled, trying to return to the nice secure cocoon of sleep from before. But the smell was strong. Actually, it smelled pretty good. Strange. He opened his eyes.

Jack stood over him, his nose inches away.

"Ah!" Startled, Daniel sat up, hands clutching his chest as he pressed back on the couch. Gasping, he sat there gawking at Jack.

"Well gee, thanks," Jack said in a mock hurt voice. " Daniel finally managed to find his voice. "Wha- J-jack?"

"Ah, it speaks." Jack grinned.

"What…who…what are you doing here?" Daniel shook his head. "No, **how** did you get in - No wait." His sputter faded and Daniel's head drooped down. "Never mind."

Jack patted Daniel on the knee. "You need to get a new lock," he said cheerfully. The colonel rose painfully to his feet, hobbling on the cane. "Come on, food's ready."

"New lock? That's what you said last time in Sha're's vision-" Daniel swallowed. What was going on? "Wait…What?" He looked up.

"You know that place I was talking about before? The new place on Fifth?" Jack waved at the dining table behind the couch. Daniel twisted around and numbly watched as Jack speared with a fork something steaming from one of the white cartons and tore at it with his teeth. The older man closed his eyes. "Mm. Perfect! Where were those potatoes?" He whooped as he opened up one carton. Jack waved at Daniel with his fork. "Hey. You have to check these out. Had one on the way over here. Smelled too good to wait."

Daniel stared at Jack, his head spinning. Was he still dreaming? He checked his watch, all turned around on his wrist. Middle of the afternoon. One can't dream during a nap can they? Daniel tugged down his sleeves, covering the watch and the tidy bandage wrapped over the worst of the rope burns.

The potato Jack had stabbed stopped midway to his mouth. Sobering, Jack lowered the morsel and stared at the younger man. Daniel was startled to see Jack's eyes turn almost black as they tracked the white gauze around his arm. "Jack…what's going on?" he hastily asked, drawing Jack's attention back.

"Dinner, Daniel. You know…chess game, dinner…" Jack poked at one carton with his potato. "The stuff we were going to do before everything started."

Oh. Daniel's mouth went dry. "Uh…I'm not really up to playing chess right now." He turned around and stared glumly at the windows.

"Hey." Jack was suddenly standing in front of him. The younger man sat back in surprise. "Daniel, there were also some things I thought we should go over."

Shaking his head, Daniel got off the couch and escaped Jack's serious gaze. "It's okay, Jack. Really." With a shaking hand, Daniel grasped his arm and winced. He blinked when Jack tossed the sling at him. Mumbling his thanks, Daniel slipped it back on, letting the muscles relax into the support. "I get it," Daniel said in a dull voice. "You were ordered to. I just happened to have showed up and you had to pull all stops so I wouldn't mess up your mission.Everyone else has told me."

"Daniel, wait—"

"No, Jack. I get it. I do." Daniel gathered up a shaky smile. "Really, I understand."

"Daniel." Jack clasped a hand on Daniel's left shoulder. "Sit. Now."

Jack's voice brooked no arguments. Surprised, Daniel sat back down on the couch again. He stared at the wet spot on the rug. How'd that get there?

"Daniel…when I agreed to go undercover," Jack squeezed the shoulder under his palm. "I was told there was no one who I can trust."

Stung, Daniel averted his gaze. "I know. You didn't know who might have been the mole."

"Right. But I did know one thing. I knew who **wasn't**."

Slowly, Daniel raised his eyes.

Jack smiled. "It wasn't you guys. Not Teal'c. Not Carter. Certainty not you." He released the shoulder, giving it a pat before he sat back on the coffee table. "Not after all these years, not after all we've seen. There was never any doubt in my mind you guys had nothing to do with it."

"Then why—" Daniel fumbled for the words.

"Why couldn't I just let you guys in on it?" Jack finished the question.

Daniel mutely nodded.

"Well, why do you think? Because I didn't trust you guys? What? Like you would give me away? Blow my cover?"

"The weak link," Daniel whispered. He sucked in his breath. "You didn't think I- we could watch your back."

Pained, Jack, caught the correction. He reached forward and placed his hands on both shoulders. He gave the other man a little shake. "Daniel, you guys weren't my weak links." Jack swallowed You guys were my **weakness**."

Daniel blinked.

"If anyone found out I was really working undercover," Jack said hoarsely. "The first guy to get a bullet wouldn't have been me. It would have been one of you guys. If they had used you or Carter or Teal'c, to get me to do what they wanted…"

Slowly, Daniel peered up at Jack.

"Daniel, I think, no, I **know**, I would have just rolled over and let them gut me before I let them get to any of you."

Blue eyes widened. Daniel's mouth dropped open slightly. Shaking himself out of his shock, Daniel's mouth snapped shut.

Jack kneaded the shoulders under his palm. "Daniel, believe me, there were times I was ready to throw in the towel and tell the Tollans what they can do with their fancy technology."

"But you can't," whispered Daniel. The cost was too high. The words were left unvoiced, but Jack heard it.

"Yeah," Jack rasped. "I can't. I couldn't. But damn it, Daniel…there were times…"

"Times?"

Jack dropped his head. For a moment, looking away from the pain he could see in Daniel's gaze—pain he'd seen since the day Daniel showed up at his doorstep with all the best intentions. Only to have Jack bite back and send him off shattered, unsure.

"Daniel," Jack said, his voice rough. "I couldn't say anything. Do you understand? Not a single, fuc- Not a word." His fingers held tightly the firm muscles under his palms. Jack suddenly had an irrational feeling if he let go, Daniel would escape. Jack had to say everything now. Say it exactly precisely right. Fix the lesson that had been broken. He lifted his eyes, shaking his head as he tried to make Daniel comprehend. "This wasn't about trust. If there was a choice, I really would have told you guys. I swear it wasn't my intention to leave you out in the cold. Okay?"

Daniel lowered his eyes. "Okay, Jack." He forced a smile. Daniel paused, looking like he wanted to ask something more, then changed his mind. He shrugged away the hands and stood up. With slow steps, like an old man, Daniel steered for the dining table. "Should I get plates for this?" His head was down, as if he was examining the food. "Should I warm this up?"

Jack stared at the bowed head. "Daniel—"

"I think I have some wine left," the younger man said abruptly. "No. Maybe tea? T-tea might be better." He spun around, entering the kitchen before Jack could stop him.

Mystified, Jack could only stare after him. What the hell? Shaking his head, Jack combed his fingers through his hair, breathing out through his nose, frustrated. What was wrong with this picture here? He'd thought he'd had it figured after all that time in the infirmary.

Jack turned on his seat on the coffee table, watching Daniel go through the motions of getting his kettle, opening the faucet. Typical gestures, absolutely normal, but Daniel appeared to be sleep walking them, abnormally quiet, the movements slow and concise.

His brows wrinkled as Jack observed Daniel pulling out the mugs, setting them aside as he waited for the kettle to fill. The metal container rang hollowly, singing higher and higher as it filled to the top until it began to gurgle when it was full.

_"You s-should have just left…Would have been o-okay…"_

Where the hell did Daniel get the notion Jack would ever leave him behind like that? With those bastards out there playing hunter to prey? Jack massaged his forehead wearily, his other hand rubbing the sore thigh. He winced as his leg muscle twinge.

_"You could have trusted m-me…" _

He did. Damn it, he did. Hadn't he just said so? Jack turned back to Daniel.

_"To watch your back, J-jack…why c-couldn't you…"_

_"Just go…I'll stay and watch your back."_

The wrinkle between Jack's brow grew and grew. He sat there, his tongue rolling around inside his mouth as he studied Daniel's back, the shoulders hunched forward, the water still running.

_"So this whole...uh...this whole friendship thing we've been working on the last few years..."_

_"Apparently not much of a foundation there, huh?"_

_"No regrets?" _

_"None whatsoever, Jackson."_

"Ah hell." Jack's shoulders dropped an inch. He drew up his hands, running the fingers through his hair. Twice Daniel came to Jack in hopes of some chance Jack had a reason. Even after the damning talk at his place, Daniel still came back.

And what did Jack do?

Jack set his jaw and rose to his feet. He searched for his cane, where the hell did he put it, but gave up when he realized Daniel was still standing by the sink. Watching water boil.

The few days of solitude hadn't gone as Daniel'd hoped. He'd been desperately trying to find a way to pull himself back to how everything was before- where everything made sense, or he **thought** made sense. It was comforting, something he didn't realize he was so reliant on until he woke up last night, shaking from the echoes of Tobias' taunting, and thought he heard Jack's voice.

_"It'll be okay. Trust me."_

Ghost sensations of fabric against his forehead.. Catches of a steady voice, cool water soothing his throat, and warm comfort to endure the night haunted him. Daniel warily glanced back to Jack. When he first woke, he'd thought it was a dream, but lo and behold, there was Jack, sitting by the cave mouth, his eyes stern and alert as he stood watch. It was a familiar feeling- Jack right where he was, acting as if he'd never budged an inch. But he also remembered waking up in the cave alone, the desolate feeling, the same sensation as Jack pushing him away at his house, those lies sounding so easy rolling off Jack's tongue. Maybe a little too easy.

Jack said he trusted him. It should be enough he thought miserably.

Daniel stared blindly at the whistling kettle.

"Hey, isn't that ready yet?." Jack pressed the two mugs into his hand giving no hint that Daniel had been off in la la land staring at the kettle for god knew how long. Daniel jumped, guiltily and his fingers automatically tightened around the ceramic. He looked down at his hands, little paper tags swung against the mug. Tea. He was supposed to be making tea.

Without commenting, Jack turned and grabbed a couple of plates from the dishwasher, and began heaping one high with sirloin cut up into smaller pieces, and enough potatoes so they were practically spilling over the side. In an impulsive spurt of humor, Jack for some reason made the creamed spinach on the side into the shape of a pyramid.

At the table, Daniel stared blankly at the plate.

"Daniel…it's not a book."

Slowly, Daniel picked up the fork Jack had set next to the plate. Picking at the food, Daniel finally poked at one piece of steak. Gingerly, he took a bite and began to chew. When he happened to look across the table, he was surprised to see a flash of something hesitant before it morphed into an expectant smile on Jack's face.

"What ya think?"

Chewing it a bit more, Daniel gave it some thought. "It's…good." He swallowed, tasting the spicy marinade and his eyebrow shot up in surprise. Actually, it was very good. He speared another piece off his plate. "Didn't know this place does takeout."

Jack sounded smug as popped a piece in his mouth, chewing loudly. "It does now."

"Oh." Daniel fell silent.

It felt odd, sitting around the table, eating, void of any conversation. Daniel had to admit, the food was good and he was hungry now that he thought about it. As he awkwardly guided the pieces to his fork, he noted Jack hacking away at his steak with his own knife and fork. Then, it occurred to him.

"Um… "

"Eh?" The question was mumbled as Jack chomped on a piece. Understanding dawned in his eyes as Daniel pointed at his plate. Jack shrugged. "Ah, Doc had mentioned you were suppose to lay off using that arm for a while. Figured maybe it would be easier that way."

"It helps. Uh…thanks."

"You're welcome." Jack waited for Daniel to say something more. But to his disappointment, Daniel only ducked his head back down and poked a piece of beef with his fork.

Daniel could feel Jack's gaze boring a hole on top of his head. He really didn't know what to say, the words exchanged sounded forced, pleasantries that sounded stale in Daniel's ears. It felt wrong, yet Daniel couldn't figure out how to dispel the unsettling sensation. He forced himself to concentrate on eating, fork to plate, then to mouth and not think at all.

_"Don't blame them though. You're not too bad for a civie."_

Daniel squeezed his eyes shut, his hand curled tightly around the fork. _Not now._ Taking a deep breath, Daniel opened his eyes, feeling the echoes vanish, but he could still feel her pressing down, unwelcome hands sweeping across his body. He reached for the mug and started as he realized Jack was watching him.

"What?" he asked nervously, covering his discomfort by taking a sip from his mug.

"She do that?" Jack asked quietly, pointing a finger in a circle towards Daniel and the lived pattern of bruising around his throat. His jaw flexed.

Daniel gulped down the rest of the coffee, coughing as the hot liquid slid down his throat.

_Hands over him, pinning him down. Can't move, can't breathe-_

"Daniel?"

"She uh…," Daniel choked out. He took a steadying breath. "A unique sense of foreplay." He met Jack's gaze and smiled tightly.

"Ah." Fidgeting in his seat, Jack nodded. "Didn't see her the whole time I was there."

"There?"

"At the cabin." Jack raised his head and met Daniel's gaze. "After Neumann met me at the gas station. You ah…read the report?"

Daniel's face clouded over. "I did." He cleared his throat, putting down the fork. "Jack. You shouldn't have taken the chance."

"What? You rather I twiddled my thumbs at home and tell Neumann to go screw himself when he called me?" Jack speared a broccoli off his plate and chewed off its green top angrily. "No way, Daniel."

The younger man stared at Jack. "You don't owe me anything." Daniel pushed away the plate, his appetite gone as quickly as it had come.

"Who said anything about a debt?" Jack demanded. "Daniel, you were in trouble, they wanted me to be there, so I went. Simple as that." Jack angrily stabbed another piece of steak and clenched his teeth over it. "Daniel, I don't regret going there. No matter what. I regret…other things though." Jack's eyes zeroed in on Daniel. "I would have done the same had it been Carter or Teal'c."

"Except they wouldn't have fallen for that trap," Daniel replied bitterly.

"And how would you know?" demanded Jack. "Hell, someone could draw a big, fat, honking X marks the spot and Teal'c could get caught when he's standing over it. Geez, wave something high tech and fancy at Carter and the woman is like a moth to light." The older man was gratified to see a tiny twitch at the corner of his mouth. "I mean, for crying out loud, Daniel. We're not gods. We make mistakes." When Daniel looked up, Jack added "I for one, made a lot of mistakes. We're not perfect. Could have happened to anyone."

Daniel stared at Jack in stunned silence.

"Do you got that?" Jack stressed. "That was not your fault. Not at all. It happened and you got out." He shook his finger at Daniel in mock anger. "Do I have to staple a card saying 'we are not gods' on your forehead?"

The tired lines around Daniel's mouth faded as he smiled shyly. "Don't we already do that?"

Relieved, Jack lightly returned "Well, you never know. Last thing I need is some people bowing and scraping at me." Jack offered a smile. He was gratified to see Daniel's expression lighten in return. He chewed meditatively on another piece of steak and decided to push it a little farther.

"How about we finish that game of chess now?"

The smile faded. "Maybe next time when I stop by, Jack," Daniel hedged. He rose to his feet, collecting his plate..

Jack's brow furrowed, tracking Daniel. "Don't you have a set here?"

"Um, yeah, in the bedroom, the one you guys got me last Christmas, but I don't see what's the point-" Daniel trailed off as Jack abruptly got up and half-limped to Daniel's bedroom. Grabbing the cane leaning on the wall, Jack rapped at the door until it opened and he hobbled inside. A few seconds of swearing under his breath, Jack emerged out of the room with the modest looking wooden set tucked under his arm.

"Over here," Jack waved towards the couch. "Come on. I want to finish the game."

"But-" Daniel stood there, unsure, by the dining table. He held a plate in front of him like a shield.

Jack made a face at Daniel. "No way are you backing out of this game." He shook his head as he set up the board on the coffee table. Jack shook the velvet bag from the box. Out spilled oak and cherry wood pieces, clacking together as they tumbled out onto the board. "Nope, nope. Not when I have checkmate."

Daniel's eyes averted away. His Adam's apple went up and down. "Jack, I'm really tired. Maybe you should go home."

"Sit…down."

Daniel was still protesting weakly. "Besides, the board's set up at your place. I don't remember how it was last time-"

"Daniel…it wasn't a request."

Daniel's gaze flew back to Jack. The older man pointed to the empty spot on the sofa with a jab of his finger, his eyes serious. Sighing, giving up, Daniel set down the plate and shuffled over. He sat down across from Jack. Daniel blinked.

The board was set up sparsely. A knight set aside on the table, a few pawns and a bishop. Daniel's eyes wandered from piece to piece, each one set not on their starting pieces, but on various spots he knew were the last moves they'd played.

"You…remember?" whispered Daniel, stunned as he surveyed the board.

Jack nodded, shrugging. "I told you. I wanted to finish **this** game." Jack twirled the black bishop in his fingers. "And if I remember correctly, it was your move next."

Daniel stared at the board. He couldn't believe it. He studied every piece, each one and they were all in their places. Jack had set it up exactly as they had left it. It had been weeks and yet every piece was exactly where it should be. Jack had remembered them all. Daniel raised his head.

Jack lowered the chess piece he was holding. "What?"Swallowing, Daniel tentatively touched the knight on his side of the board with his index finger. "Uh…back then…when I showed up…" He ducked his head, his finger stroking the knight over and over again. Daniel paused, glued to the knight surrounded by the pawns and Jack's bishop. The little soldiers on the board were such poor defense against the bishop. At any given moment, they could be taken, ripped to shreds. Daniel's mouth curved downwards. Wouldn't have mattered if he'd never moved those pawns. Sooner or later, the bigger pieces would have devoured them.

"Why didn't you just…not let me in?"

Jack's brow knitted together. "Huh?"

Feeling a red flush creeping up his neck, Daniel mumbled "Never mind." He debated how he was going to excuse himself when Jack cleared his voice.

"If I hadn't let you in the first time, Daniel…" Jack leaned forward. "You would have come back…wouldn't you?"

Daniel peered over to Jack. He chewed his lower lip before slowly nodding in agreement.

Jack sighed, sitting back on the couch. "I couldn't let that happen, Daniel."

Still silent, Daniel waited.

The older man scrubbed his face with one hand before dropping it down to his lap. "Daniel, if I hadn't given you the right answers, hadn't been believable, what would have happened?"

Giving it some thought, Daniel answered with a neutral "I don't know."

"You would have kept coming back. At my door, each time, sure you could fix it. Right?" Jack didn't sound angry. In fact, he was smiling tiredly at Daniel. "Am I right or not?"

Daniel tilted his head. Finally, he nodded.

"Maybourne had been following me, tapping my lines since I first was…retired." Jack framed the last word with his fingers forming quotations in the air. "And then, they would have realized you might have been involved or worse, decide to…" Jack breathed out sharply. "But damn it, that happened anyway, didn't it?" He struck a fist into one of the throw pillows. "Instead of Maybourne doing the shooting, it was Neumann and that damn psycho bitch Tobias-" He stopped at the pale face. "Crap, Daniel, I didn't mean to-"

Daniel was silent as he hesitantly picked up one of the pieces off the sidelines. He stroked the curves and bevels of the black pawn. It felt small in his palm. Maybe if he squeezed his hand, it would be crushed.

"Daniel?"

Still staring at the chess piece, Daniel quietly asked in a halting voice. "Back at your place, did you…did you believe any of what you said?"

"No." Jack's answer was immediate. So quick, so positive, Daniel had to look up. "No, Daniel. Not a single word." He placed his palm flat on his own chest. "Daniel, everything I said was the opposite of what I believed and feel. The complete and total opposite." Jack paused before adding "And, back at the base, before I left through the gate. That talk we had in the hallway…" He fidgeted in his seat, clearing his throat. "I actually hoped we wouldn't have bumped into each other. Would have made it easier, you know?" Jack's voice lowered to a mumble. "Damn it, Daniel. It wasn't the easiest thing to say to you and then there you were, practically asking me to be an ass again." Jack leaned forward. "We were out in the open. And shit, I didn't know who was really on our side. I couldn't take the chance. Couldn't risk it. And it was the hardest thing I've ever had to do and I've done some pretty insane stuff." He ran a hand through his hair tugging at it, trying to think of what else he could say to convince him. "Like jumping out of perfectly good airplanes, or that time I had to…"

Staring at him Daniel watched as Jack continued on and on, watching as the man who hated talking about anything personal neatly started baring his soul before him. All to convince him. To convince **him** that it was... "It's okay," Daniel suddenly interrupted. He waved his left hand at Jack signaling him to stop. He didn't have to do this. "Really. It's okay."

"Is it?" Jack looked dead serious. He studied Daniel carefully. "Daniel, is it really? Everything? All of it?

Daniel looked at the chessboard again. Every single piece. He glanced up and met Jack's gaze.

And nodded.

Jack's breath released in a loud whoosh. "Thank God." He reached over and clapped his hand on Daniel's knee. "Thanks." He squeezed the knee. "It really was the hardest thing I had to say back there, Daniel. Hell, I thought acting like Jack O'Neill, ass of the universe those past few weeks was hard, but when I found you standing at my door. I-"

"It's okay," Daniel quickly reassured Jack. He blinked. It was. The more he said it, the more it was. He shyly patted Jack's hand back. The colonel looked more relaxed, the weary lines fading from his face. "It really is, Jack."

"Good," murmured Jack. "Now how about we finish this game, huh?" Daniel was a little surprised to see a despair he hadn't seen noticed before shed away from Jack's eyes. Daniel offered another smile and found Jack's face lighten even more.

The two men fell to a more comfortable silence as they contemplated the board. Jack wiggled his fingers, savoring the moment as he chose his next move, a move he waited to do for such a long time. He nudged the rook two squares to the left. Daniel countered it with his knight. Jack frowned. Hm. Kay, not a problem. He hopped his own knight to block the queen. Which Daniel replied with his bishop. Argh. Jack moved his queen again, right in the line of the king. Ha! Jack grinned wolfishly at Daniel.

Daniel blinked, staring at the board. He looked up and stared at Jack for a few seconds. Then slowly and deliberately, Daniel reached for his rook, glided it across and took Jack's queen.

"Check."

Jack's jaw dropped. Shit! He scanned all the pieces forming a perfect circle around his king. Either move now would have him at checkmate.

"Ah crap." Jack slapped his thigh, thankfully the good one, and laughed out loud, startling Daniel. "Shit! You weren't kidding, were you? Three moves!" He barked out a laugh. God, it felt good. Jack reached over and punched Daniel lightly on the left shoulder. "You son of a gun. You weren't bluffing after all, were you?"

The smile Daniel gave Jack was gratifying. It warmed Jack to see the pain slip away to the twinkle now residing in Daniel's eyes. A dim sparkle, but it was a hell of a good start in rebuilding broken bridges and foundations.

"You did say I was lousy at bluffing, didn't you?" Daniel said lightly. There was no sign of sadness in his voice.

Jack's grin broadened. "Apparently, that only applies in poker, big guy." He waved at the board. "Day's still young. Best two out of three?" His smile faltered when he saw Daniel look down at the board again. "Daniel?"

The archeologist was silent as he picked up the victor king. He raised his head, meeting with Jack's eyes.

And smiled.

"Sure."

Jack felt the last of the gloom peel away like a discarded coat. He reached over, unable to resist ruffling the short strands of Daniel's hair. Then, the two men chuckled as they gathered up the pieces and began to set up the chess board once more for a new game.

The End.


End file.
